Celebrating
by aranenumenesse
Summary: Logan, Marie, booze and everyday life.
1. Chapter 1

"Lost something?" Question rumbled from somewhere above. She stopped when her head hit against something in the dark and flopped down, small giggle bubbling from her lips.

"Lost my feet… Lost my friends… And I think I lost my left shoe, I can't seem to find it…"

The grand entrance hall was suddenly flooded with bright light, and she was staring at bare feet that were attached to denim-encased legs. She let her gaze travel higher, over the belt and enormous buckle, finding bare chest. Very fine looking bare chest.

"Kitty called that you went missing. I was going to come and find you." Chest moved as Logan spoke, ribs flexing under the skin, muscles rippling slightly. When small breeze whirred in from the open doorway his skin rose to gooseflesh, smoothing over almost instantaneously. She giggled again, wondering if it would feel as warm as it looked. If the coarse hair covering his pecks and abs would tickle if she…

"Kid." Suddenly there was a finger right in front of her eyes. She stared at the tip of it cross-eyed and followed when it rose higher, higher… Until she was looking at Logan.

"Up here. Stop drooling and get up."

"You're no fun…"

She tried to find her feet and finally managed to wobble to a position one could have called vertical. There was a conveniently placed drawer right next to her and she leaned against it, trying to make her knees understand that now wasn't the time to buckle.

"I'm no fun and you're drunk. Tomorrow you're going to have a world-class hangover, and I'm going to be funny as hell."

"Very funny, Wolverine…" She muttered, already feeling the first signs of the headache creeping upon her.

"Hey! That's Logan to you, kid. Go to bed. I'm going to call Kitty that they can stop worrying."

She stumbled over to the staircase, hearing Logan talking in the kitchen. Was kitty home already? She giggled again when she realized that Logan was talking on the phone. Fit of giggles dropped her on her hands and knees before she reached the stairs. Actually, down here the floor didn't feel as cold and hard as it looked. Polished marble was smooth and warmed quickly under her cheek. If she slept here, it would save her from getting up and getting downstairs for the breakfast in the morning. It would save her from the potentially hazardous journey up the stairs right now. There was no end for benefits for sleeping right where she was!

* * *

"Come on, kid. Get your ass back in gear. You can't sleep here."

"Go away. This is perfect place for sleeping…" She tried to push him away. She couldn't understand how Logan could be so dense at times.

* * *

"Stop struggling. I'm not dressed for this. Touch me now and we fall like a sack of potatoes."

"We?" Oh, she was moving. She was moving, and what ever it was that she was laying on felt much warmer and softer than the floor… She cracked her eyes open. She was rising higher. She could see the railing of the stairs whooshing past her, and it was slightly dizzying so she turned her head and then squeaked.

Logan was carrying her. That was awful lot of bare skin, awful close to the bare skin of her face. Suddenly she wasn't drunk anymore. Not drunk enough.

"I think… I think you can put me down…" She managed to stutter. Logan lowered her carefully until her feet touched the floor, but kept an arm around her waist for support.

They stood on the second floor. Only few steps separated her from the door of her room. She glanced around, and suddenly realized how disheveled Logan looked. Looked around once more and spotted an open door further down the hall. A woman standing there, clutching a robe around her, looking at them.

"I… I think I can make it now… I… Thanks…" She stuttered. Logan snorted and waved at the woman who nodded and went back in to his room, closing the door behind her.

"Lets get you in to bed, kid."

* * *

Logan helped her to change in to her pajamas and brush her teeth, as well as clean off the make-up from her face before he tucked her in her bed, sitting to the edge of the mattress. The bed frame squeaked alarmingly but held. She heard sharp click-clacking sound from the outside, going past her door.

"You should probably go after her… I'm fine now…" She whispered. Logan shook his head, smirking sheepishly.

"No need to do that. Already paid her."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. So… Want to tell me what made you sneak back home? It isn't even midnight yet. Thought you brats would be out celebrating until dawn."

Celebrating? Yes. It was their graduation, after all.

"Nothing. It was nothing. Just got tired, that's all. I guess I drank too much."

"Oh, hell… Well, it happens even for the best and brightest of us…" Logan grunted, scratching his jaw. She reached with her hand, then at the last possible moment noticed that she wasn't wearing her gloves and let her palm fall flat against her blanket. World was spinning lazily. She was spinning and floating, and suddenly it was too much. She started trembling. She'd need something to hold on before she fell. Logically it wasn't possible to fall when you were already lying on your back, but logic and drunken fuzziness weren't really acquaintances. Logan seemed to notice her dilemma and smiled tiredly, then crawled on to the bed behind her, on top of the covers. Gathered her against his chest, wrapped her arms in to the blanket as well and draped his arm over the whole neat package, anchoring her against him.

"Better?" She heard him asking. Warmth of his skin was already seeping through the blanket, and solid bulk of his body had stopped the spinning, but she wasn't ready to close her eyes quite yet.

"Little… Thanks…" She mumbled, burrowing even closer to him. She could smell the scent of perfume on his skin, as well as something that had to be… She'd rather not think about it at all.

"Want me to spend the night in here?" Logan asked.

"That would be nice…"

"Think you could manage on your own for a sec? I'll go and take a quick shower and grab something more comfortable to wear."

"I don't know… We'll just have to see…"

She was already falling asleep, but when Logan let go of her that sinking and spinning feeling returned with vengeance. She squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed her blanket tighter, hoping Logan would return soon.

It felt like forever, but finally Logan slipped back in to her room, soundlessly. She could only see his face floating in the darkness; rest of him was just a dark blur, covered with long, black underwear. He was wearing even gloves.

He settled back on her bed, under blanket this time, arranging his wide frame so that she could sink against him seamlessly. She let her body melt in his warmth, enjoying the feel of his heavy hands around her.

"I got you kid, I got you. There are some painkillers and a glass of water on the nightstand. You'll be needing them when you wake up." His voice rumbled through her, soothing her nerves and stopping the tremors. She grasped his arms and pulled them even tighter around her, turning in his embrace and burying her face against his chest. She'd tell him in the morning. When she was sober and able to prove her words she'd tell him that when others had celebrated their graduating she had been celebrating her victory over her treacherous skin.


	2. Chapter 2

When she woke up Logan was already gone. There were two white capsules and a glass of water on her nightstand, as well as small slip of paper. She took the capsules and drank the water greedily before picking up the note.

_Good morning. Congrats, kid. Knew you'd figure out your skin one of these days._

So it hadn't been a dream? Her hand rose to her cheek, fingers brushing the spot she had felt his lips brush earlier. Brief touch, enough to rouse her half-awake, but not long enough for her still groggy mind to actually react.

* * *

She kicked back her blanket and stood up, grimacing when she felt the sharp stab of pain slicing through her head. Then discarded her sweaty nightgown and forced her feet through necessary steps to the bathroom. Sat on the toilet seat and peed for what felt like hours, hoping that the effect of the painkillers would kick on soon. Turned on the shower and stepped under the warm spray of water. Brushed her teeth as the water pelted off the last remnants of sweat and stickiness from her skin.

By the time she was ready to leave the shower her headache was as good as gone and she was actually able to think straight. Out of habit she chose a long-sleeved shirt and basic jeans from her closet, then changed her mind and took out a light green t-shirt and a loose skirt with matching color that hung low, brushing her ankles, but the fabric was soft and light, almost translucent. Instead of socks and sneakers she slid her bare feet to flip-flops, wriggling her toes for the good measure. Then chose her only acknowledgement for the woefully chilly autumn weather, long and wide green scarf that she wrapped around her shoulders before she opened the door of her room and stepped out to start her new life.

* * *

It was nine'o clock. Majority of the kids were already in classes, and the dining hall was empty. The kitchen staff was already scurrying around, arranging places and collecting off breakfast. She managed to snatch a cup of tea and a cheese and ham sandwich before she was shooed off.

She grabbed her coat from the closet at the grand entrance hall and walked out to the garden, wandering to a small gazebo near the entrance to eat her breakfast. Sandwich was delicious. Tea was steaming hot, tasting slightly of peppermint. She held the cup under her nose, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Aromatherapy?" She smiled and shook her head. Opened her eyes. Logan was leaning against the railing of the gazebo, his nostrils twitching slightly as he took in the scent of her tea.

"No. Just enjoying my breakfast. Thanks. For the last night and this morning."

"It was nothing… How do you feel?" Logan asked, vaulting over the railing and sliding next to her on to the bench. She shrugged her shoulders. Took a sip from the tea.

"Fine."

"That's good. Any plans for today?" Logan asked. Again she shook her head.

"Not really. Professor told us all to keep at least one week of proper vacation before we even start planning anything. Plus I'm still a bit tired… I guess that last tequila was a bit overkill…" She muttered, stuffing the rest of her sandwich to a trash bin next to the bench. Logan smirked.

"Told you… Hangover's a bitch."

"Yes. And it's getting cold out here. Wasn't really planning to spend the day outside…" She huffed standing up, throwing the now empty paper cup to the trash bin where it landed on top of her half eaten sandwich.

Logan reached for her bare hand. Grabbed her wrist and let his fingers dance over her knuckles. His smirk turned to an honest smile.

"I'm happy for you, kid."

"Yeah. Never thought I would… That I could touch again."

"I never had a doubt that you would," Logan said lifting her hand and letting his lips to ghost over the back of it before he let her go.

She walked back inside slowly, enjoying the feel of the skirt as it swished against her bare calves and thighs. She would still feel Logan's warm breath on her skin. Feel of his fingers around her wrist, like a warm bracelet.

* * *

She didn't want others to find out. Not yet. So she hurried back to her room before the first class was over. Air smelt a bit stale so she opened the window. She caught a glimpse from Logan. He was still sitting in the gazebo, talking to a cell phone. Wide smile on his face, leaning back, one hand combing lazily through the thick mane of his black hair. When he caught her staring he waved at her and winked. She waved back, but retreated from the window quickly before he had the chance to see the blush that crept over her cheeks. 


	3. Chapter 3

She'd thought that the vacation week would fly past so fast that she never knew it existed. She was wrong. At the end of the first day she was bored out of her skull. Half past noon at the second day she was ready to curl up and scream for the sheer stupidity of such thing as vacation in the middle of autumn when there was absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go.

* * *

"It isn't raining nearly as hard as it was yesterday." She cracked one eye open and saw Logan standing next to her. Closed her eyes again.

"Would you move? You're blocking out the sun."

"Oh, sorry…"

She laid her eyes closed, fully expecting Logan to be gone. Sudden clearing of throat and whiff of tobacco floating in the air told her otherwise.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" She asked.

"Nothing particular. Saw you out here and came to see if you're alright, that's all…"

"I'm fine. Peachy. Hand me a coke, would you?"

She could hear him rummaging through her picnic basket, then a small hiss when cap popped open. She reached her hand and was rewarded with a cool glass bottle. She sat up, took a sip and sighed. Turned to look at Logan. He was sitting on the grass, white t-shirt plastered against his skin, his jeans soaked through from the rain. She couldn't help wondering how the cigar that was currently dangling from his fingers was still smoking. Magic. Must be.

"Any particular reason for this stupidity?" He asked. She scrunched her forehead.

"Stupidity? It isn't even freezing yet. And there are people who go to swim in the middle of winter."

"Okay, okay… But why?"

"I was bored. Wanted to go to the beach since I have skipped that pleasure for so many summers. But this time of year there's nothing but litter and seaweed, and waves, they're too rough for swimming."

"And laying on the patio in the rain is better? Kid… You're going to get sick. I'm not even going to start listing all the nice options of what you can catch this way…"

"That's good, because I don't want to hear them. You see it's not raining right now."

"It isn't?" Logan asked, trying to arch his eyebrow but settled for squinting his eye when yet another small torrent of water trickled down his forehead straight in to his eye.

"No. It isn't. Sun is shining. And I'm not on the patio. I'm at the beach. And if you weren't sitting there, there would be at least dozen of good looking man swarming around me, getting me soda and ice cream, spreading suntan lotion…"

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to crash your party."

"It's okay. In fact, now that you're here, would you mind doing my back?" She asked turning on to her stomach and untying the straps of her bikini top.

"Jesus, you're sure that you're alright? Haven't hit your head lately or anything?"

"I'm in perfect health, Logan. But not for long. I'll get sunburn if you don't do something soon."

"Okay. Where's the damn bottle?"

* * *

When Logan was finished with her back he placed his cigar carefully aside and took off his t-shirt, stretching next to her on to the towel.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked. Logan shoot her a glare.

"What? I'm good enough to spread lotion but can't stick around after? Was planning to get some sun myself."

"Oh, in that case… You'll be needing these…" She handed him a pair of sunglasses. Logan put them on, crossed his arms behind her neck and sighed.

"You wouldn't happen to have any beer in that basket of yours?"

"Nope. Wasn't really expecting company."

"So, you decided to lure men to you with your rack alone?"

"Something wrong with that?"

"Nope. Nothing wrong with your rack. But it isn't going to work if you hide it. Turn on your back and see if you can catch more than just me."

"You came to check out my rack?"

"Yeah."

"Was it worth it?"

"Definitely. But now I really got to get back inside. I think my back's starting to rust."

"Suit yourself…"

"Give me a holler when you need a life-buoy. I think I saw one at the professor's study."


	4. Chapter 4

"Catch!" She caught a small package and managed to catch a glimpse of Logan running past her room. He looked like he was in awful hurry. Few minutes later when she still stood stunned at the middle of her room, clutching the small package, she could hear low rumble from outside. The Blackbird. No wonder Logan had been running like the devil was at his heels. He had been as bored as she lately.

She plopped down on her bed and huffed.

"Oh, yes, Marie! We'd love you to come with us! Sure! Isn't that why you're training? To be an X-Man? Bullshit. B-U-L-L…"

"S-H-I-T. It's good to know that you have learned how to spell," came a chuckle from her doorstep and she sat up, embarrassed and blushing. Logan was leaning against the doorjamb, his hands crossed over his chest. She turned to look and there it was, just outside of her window, black, sleek jet taking off.

"What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be over there?" She asked gesturing towards rapidly shrinking black dot on the sky. Logan grunted and shook his head.

"They can handle themselves perfectly fine. Scott and Jean. Borrowed a cabin from a friend of mine for their anniversary. Scott forgot the keys."

"And because you're so thoughtful and considerate you rushed after him your keychain jingling, right?" She asked.

"I rushed after them with my keychain jingling because Scott's an anal asshole and he would have called the whole thing off from the first sign of trouble, and that would have pissed off Jean, and in result Scott would have been sleeping on the couch for the rest of this month."

"Aww… That's so cute…"

"Yeah. Couldn't let that happen. You know how Scott likes to go to sleep at nine? And how hockey season just begun?"

"Oh. But you have a TV in your room."

"No I don't. Don't need one when there's perfectly good home theatre in the living room."

Logan walked in and sat to the floor, leaning against her bed frame.

"Aren't you going to open that?" He asked, and she realized that she was still holding the package. Very small package. A size of jewelers box –package. Too small for necklace –package. Too small for necklace but just perfect for a… -package.

"Logan…" She tilted her head and held her breath, trying to figure out what to say.

"Come on, kid. Just open it," Logan urged her.

She took a deep breath and started unwrapping the silvery foil. She found a small, black box from underneath it. Her eyes darted between Logan's face and the box that lay on her palm.

"It's not going to bite. At least I think so…" Logan said completely serious and stuck out his index finger, poking the box gently. She could see his nostrils flaring. Something flashing briefly behind his eyes.

"Just open the goddamned box, would you? This curiosity is killing me!" He finally huffed.

"Curiosity… This isn't from you?" She asked.

"Nope…"

"Well, in that case…" She sighed relieved and grasped the lid, peeling it off carefully.

"It's from the professor and me."

She squeaked and nearly dropped the box, but it was already too late. Logan was cupping her palm with his own larger one, steadying her hand. She squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel Logan's breath fan over the skin of her palm, then a low whistle.

"Would you look at that… Looks pretty good to me…"

She cracked her eyes open carefully. Looked in to the box. Dropped it and jumped up, wrapping her arms around Logan's neck and squealed from joy.

"You asshole! You could have just told me! You scared the shit out of me with this 'mysterious package' –thing!" Logan just smirked and ruffled her hair.

On her bed sheet laid the gift from the professor Xavier. An official approval to the X-Team. A gleaming X made out of steel. When she picked it up and looked at it closer she noticed that it was slightly different from the others. Three distinctive gauges ran along the length of the X. Claw marks.

Logan pulled his keychain from his pocket and showed her his insignia.

"Had this remodeled as well." It was the standard X, but now a palm print decorated the middle part of it.

"Prof said that even if this is official, he wants somebody to look after your pretty ass out there. If you're in a tight spot, just call me. I'll be there, kid."

"I'm quite sure that professor didn't mention anything about my pretty ass, but thanks, Logan. And remember, if you're stuck and need a hand…"

"I'll pull my ugly mug out of trouble and then call you. I'm big and mean enough for the both of us, Marie."


	5. Chapter 5

"Why do we always end up in bed when I'm drunk?"

"I don't know. You think I'm trying to take advantage?"

"I know you don't. It's just… Strange."

"Well, you need something to hold on to. And I…"

"You what? You know how I hate it when people start talking and then don't finish their thought."

"It's nothing. You're going to think that I'm pansy."

"Pansy? After seeing how you beat the shit out of those skinheads it's going to take a hell of a blow to make you look like a pansy."

"Can we just sleep now? I'm feeling kind of dizzy."

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to finish that last bottle of whiskey."

"I know."

She snuggled more firmly against Logan, grasping his bare hands and placing them around her midsection, his palms and fingers ending harmlessly under her breasts. She tried to close her eyes and forget the nauseating floating feeling. It wasn't working. Her curiosity kept nagging at her.

"I need you to hold me. What do you need?" She asked. Logan grunted and buried his face between her shoulderblades.

"Come on… Can't we just sleep?" He whined.

"You started it. I can't go to sleep before you tell me what you were going to say."

Silence stretched between them until she was sure that Logan had fallen asleep. She elbowed him and let out a pained hiss when her elbow connected with his ribs.

"What?"

"Talk to me. I can't sleep before you tell me what do you need," she muttered, rubbing her elbow.

"It's stupid… Can we just sleep now, Marie? Please?"

She knew she was winning. She turned in his hold so that she was facing him. It wouldn't take much prodding anymore. She puckered her lips to a something she could only assume was an adorable pout and bat her lashes.

"Kid… I'll leave you sleeping alone if you don't stop that right now…"

"And where would you go? We are in your bed now."

"Oh. That's a good point. I'll toss you out, drunk or no drunk if you don't stop that."

"Could you really do that?"

"I don't know. I guess we're going to find out…"

"Logan, come on! You're just a big wuss! What's so horrible that you can't tell it to me?"

"I am a wuss. I like this. I like holding you like this. Happy now?"

"Very. Now we can sleep."

"And if I hear a peep from this conversation from Summers, I'll spank your ass black and blue."

"That a threat?"

"No. It's a promise."


	6. Chapter 6

"How come Iceprick is never around when we need him?" Logan grunted, casting an annoyed glance towards the cooler where a selection of booze in various bottles was floating in the water.

"You really want Bobby here? I could go and see if he's awake," Marie suggested, taking a sip from her drink. Logan shook his head.

"Nah… I rather have you all by myself… It's just that warm beer tastes like piss."

"I wasn't the one who put that cooler so close to the fireplace…"

"Duh. I wasn't the one who wanted to play twister and decided that the cooler was in the way."

"I wasn't the one who suggested that we drink here in the first place."

"Duh. You're still two years shy from 21. You wouldn't have gotten in to any of those bars I usually go to."

"Duh. We could have gone in to a club!"

"Duh… Why the fuck do we keep saying 'duh'?"

"I have no idea. I wasn't aware that you even were able to form that syllable."

"You'd be surprised to know what exactly I'm able to do…"

"Right. You're all bark and no bite."

"You'd like me to bite?"

"Save that to your girlfriend, Hairy An' Scary."

"Don't have one. Don't need one. I got you to nag my ears off and drink with, and I can always pick up somebody when I get an itch…"

"Just make sure that you don't get even worse itch afterwards."

"Lecturing about safe sex? Jesus. We need more booze, kid."

He reached for a bottle of whiskey. Wet bottle slid from his fingers and splashed back in to the cooler.

"Duh."

"Duh, indeed. Let me give you a hand…"

She placed her drink to the mantel and fished out the bottle, opening it and taking a healthy swig before handing it to him.

"I thought you couldn't get drunk."

"I thought so too. But I guess there's a limit of how much I can drink. I'm definitely tipsy."

She settled back to the armchair, cradling her drink in one hand, stirring it with a straw with the other. Logan was slugging back whiskey like it was water.

"Hairy An' Scary, huh?"

"That's what Jubes used to call you few years ago."

"Nice."

"I like more Sex In Jeans."

"Huh? Wouldn't it work better without clothes on?"

"Probably. But you always wear jeans. Tight jeans. Seriously, do you know what that does to your sperm count?"

"Haven't really thought about it. Should I?"

"If you ever want to have children, I'd suggest you start wearing sweats instead."

"Spank you for this tidbit of crucial medical information. Will take it to consideration."

"Please, don't. I'd miss seeing your tight ass."

"You think my ass is tight?"

"Yes."

"Thanks… And goodbye to children. Wouldn't want to deprive you from your daily dose of ogling it."

"You're most considerate, my good sir."

"I seem to have misplaced my fucking cigars."

"I have them. You gave them to me before we started drinking."

"Why did I do that?"

"Because you wanted to avoid that little incident we had with the sprinklers last month. Come on, let's move this party to the patio…"


	7. Chapter 7

"_You're just too good to be true_…" Words floated from the speakers. Voice was a bit scratchy, but singer was able to carry the tune perfectly.

"_Can't take my eyes off you_…" She replied with a hushed voice. There was a slight pause, then speakers crackled.

"_You'd be like heaven to touch_…" Words made her shiver. Though she had been able to control her skin for months now she had been hiding it from the others. Logan was the only one she had shared her secret with.

"_I wanna hold you so much_…" She replied. Again a brief pause.

"Are you there?" She asked. She hated these long nights with passion. Hated when Logan went to a solo mission, and she was left behind to take care of the comm. center.

"I'm here, kid. Just getting my bearings…" His voice came through little stronger this time. She could hear the soft rapping of raindrops at the background, as well as his labored breathing.

"Should I go and wake up Scott? Ask him to come and get you?"

"You'll do that and when I get back home I'll… Fuck. Just don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm fine. Bike's fine. Everything's just peachy. Even if you woke him up I'd probably be there before he got the jet started."

* * *

"So… Seen any good movies lately?" She huffed, glancing the clock on the wall.

"Nope. Been a bit busy. Drinking with my buddy and everything. You want to go?" Logan asked. She could hear the leather of his jacket creaking softly at the background, then a muffled curse.

"Are you sure that you're okay? Maybe I should go and wake up Scott just in case… It's taking awful long for you to heal…"

"Quit fussing. I'm fine. Just trying to figure how to get up from here without breaking my neck."

"How far from home are you?" She asked.

"Not far, just outside of the city. You know that old sawmill at Trenton?"

"Yes?"

"Few miles south from it. I'll be home in no time once I figure out how to push the bike from here without sliding straight back down."

"I'm coming to get you."

"Marie? Kid? It's… You can't. Kid? Kid?" Words echoed in an empty room.

* * *

She found the place easily. Old, abandoned road, more of a path that had been used to haul lumber from the forest to the sawmill when it was still working. She had taken Logan's truck, but she was hesitant to drive it along the narrow path, so she parked it and stepped out in to the darkness.

"_At long last love has arrived_…" She sang, hoping she would get an answer fast. She wasn't that fond of lurking around in darkened, abandoned places.

"_And thank God I'm alive_, because you're going to need all the extra protection you can get when Summers finds out that you left the comm. room at the middle of a mission…" Logan grunted from somewhere close by. She heard twigs snapping and small pebbles grinding together, then hands reached from a ravine at the side of the road and Logan hauled himself over the edge, looking a bit frazzled but none the worse to wear.

She couldn't help it. She jumped at him, squealing like a teenaged brat and hugged him close to her.

"Don't you ever do this again! I was worried out of my mind!" She hissed, stabbing his chest with he finger when she was finally able to let him go.

"I can't promise that. You know that kid," Logan said, shuffling his feet, keeping his gaze locked pointedly to the muddy ground.

"I'm not asking you to promise. That was an order. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Takes a lot more than a tumble with a bike to hurt me. But thanks…" Logan mumbled, pulling her to his embrace.

"Thanks for caring, Marie."


	8. Chapter 8

"This is so unfair!"

"It's not that bad. Or would you rather be out there in the rain?" Logan asked shuffling a deck of cards he had swiped from Remy earlier that night.

"It wasn't like I left the comm. because I went to get some ice cream! I just came to give you a hand with that bike!"

"But Summers was right. If somebody had been following me, we would have gotten both caught," Logan pointed out, then started flipping the cards on the table to even rows.

"Devil's game…"

"What?"

"That's what my mom used to call Solitaire. Devil's game."

"Hmph. Solitaire is Solitaire. For what do you need the devil in it?"

"My grandpa was a gambler. Even when he was at home he had always a card deck with him. If he couldn't find anybody to play with him he said that he would play with the Devil, then. That maybe he'd find a worthy adversary from him."

"Fuck. You sure had some seriously fucked up relatives…"

"What ever… I'm going to make tea. You want some?"

"Tea? Uh… Okay…"

She sauntered over to the cupboards and reached for the tin container on the upper shelf. It slipped from her fingers and clattered on the counter, spilling teabags all over the kitchen.

"Just one cup for me, thank you…" Logan muttered after glancing briefly to her direction. She grabbed a handful of teabags and threw them at him.

"What was that for?" He asked puzzled. She started collecting scattered bags and stuffing them back to the tin.

"Nothing. I just hate it when Scott is right. What the hell was I thinking last night?" She huffed.

"Me. You were thinking about me."

It came out sounding almost like an accusation. She grabbed a pot from the cabinet and filled it with water. Put it on the stove and then turned to look at Logan who was calmly arranging the cards on the table.

"And what's wrong with that?" She asked.

"Nothing. Usually. I like it when there's somebody I can count on to back me up. I like it when that somebody is you."

"But?"

"Remember what I told you when I gave you that pendant?"

"Yeah. You said that you're big and mean enough for the both of us. Never thought that you actually believed that macho bullshit."

"Not macho. Not bullshit. I'm big and mean enough to be sent in first. Durable bastard. But you… You got brain for the both of us. Everybody, including Scott, can see that. If something goes wrong when I'm out there I know that you're here, making sure that all the necessary precautions are taken before you come to fix what I broke. I don't trust Scott to do that. I don't trust Professor to do that. I don't trust Ororo to do that. Just you."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Now, how about you put that brain of yours to good use and fix me some coffee instead of tea?"

"You sure do know how to stroke a girl's ego…"

"And that's why you love me so much, darling."

"If I were you I'd go to sleep one eye open tonight…"

"And that's why I love you so much, darling. Many people try to threaten me, but you're probably the only one who has the guts and means to back up your words."

* * *

She waited for the water to boil and loaded the coffee maker. Sat opposite Logan, her gaze flickering to the array of cards in front of him repeatedly. She could see small muscle at the corner of his mouth twitch slightly. That twitch turned to a small grin when she scooted her chair around the table and ended up lurking the cards from over his shoulder.

"You're doing this all wrong. Look… Take this pile from here and move it over there. Then you can switch these two cards and…"

"My God. Your mom was right. I have been sitting here whole five minutes and I already have an itsy-bitsy demoness lurking over my shoulder…"


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh, God! Logan! Help!" He managed to put down his beer just in time. Marie plastered herself against him and it would have taken a crowbar to yank her off. He scanned to hall briefly. Dim lights. Soft music. Couples swaying lazily in something that could have been called a dance, though in his eyes it just looked like the whole goddamned mansion needed to get laid. Badly.

"What's the matter?" He asked, trying to untangle Marie's hands from his waist before his current date, blonde that called herself Cas (short-for-Cassandra-but-with-one-s-only) came back from the bathroom. Marie refused to budge.

"Stop. Stop looking like you want to get rid of me. I'll explain everything later. I'll explain everything to Bambi as well, just help me out now… Work with me, big guy…"

"It's Cas."

"Bambi, Cas… What's the difference?"

"I paid for Bambi, Cas is free."

"Yikes! Sorry… But I really need your help. Please? Please…"

Suddenly Marie stopped pleading and leaned against him more firmly, planting her ass against his crotch and pulling his hands around her midsection to something that just screamed possession. A man wearing a tuxedo who had been making his way through the crowd stopped, stared at them and then turned towards the bar, defeated look on his face. At the same time Cas saw it fit to return from powdering her nose, took a one good look at Logan and Marie, turned on her heels and marched out from the hall.

* * *

"I really am sorry. Just give me her number and I call her and explain everything…"

"It would be nice if you explained to me as well. Last time I checked my plans involved Cas, bed and me. You weren't even in the equation," Logan grunted dryly.

"Oh, of course! I… I think you can let go of me already…"

"What? You just scared off my date and aren't even going to offer any compensation? Kid, do you have any idea how long has it been since I last got laid?"

"Come on, Logan. Don't you start as well! See that guy? At the bar?"

"That penguin? Yeah."

"He has been pawing me the whole fucking night. I think he's Bobby's cousin or something."

"So? He doesn't look that bad. Go for it, kid."

"Logan! I'm not interested in… I want more than just a quickie in a fucking ball! It's… It's like I was still at high school or something… Ewww…"

"Okay. And how do I fit in to this nice picture?" Logan asked. Marie blushed.

"Um… Could you…. Would it be possible for you to pretendtobe…"

"Speak up kid. In English. I don't speak mumble."

Blush on her cheeks gained even deeper shade of red. Suddenly the patterns on the Xavier's grand ballroom's floor seemed to steal her whole attention. She took a deep breath. Then turned her gaze slightly upward, peeking through the thick white bangs that had fallen over her forehead.

"Could you pretend to be my boyfriend? Just for tonight? I'm kind of tired of these idiots trying to score me."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm no boyfriend material. But I'm sure we can figure out something…" Logan said, grinning lazily, pulling her against him and looping one hand around her waist, letting the other slide through her long locks of chocolate brown hair.

Before she realized she was swaying at the middle of the dance floor, her lower body pressed firmly against Logan's, her hands around his waist and his head resting on her shoulder. His hands weren't idle. One was smoothing over her back, fingers skimming a feather-light trail over her vertebrae; other was kneading her buttocks softly.

"Logan… This… What the hell are you doing?" She squeaked. He shifted his head a bit.

"We have mansion full of muties and guests to assure that we have something going on. Work with me, little girl…" Logan whispered, his warm breath caressing the side of her throat.

"But you said…"

"Boyfriend, kid? I'm kind of old to fit that description. How about a lover instead?" His lips grazed her earlobe briefly and her every muscle froze. Logan's fingers started rubbing her more firmly.

"Just relax, kid. Let's give them a show they won't forget."

"O-hkay…"

"Eventually you have to start moving. Eventually you have to start touching me. Better sooner than later, or else this is going to look like I'm trying to molest you, kid. Move those hips a bit. I know you can, I have seen you dancing before…"

She closed her eyes and let her muscles relax. Let her body melt seamlessly against Logan's and let him guide her through the night.


	10. Chapter 10

"So…"

"Yeah. Uh…"

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with economy pack of condoms?"

"Who's it from?"

"Jean gave it to me when I went to get a band-aid for my knee."

"Ah-ha… Well, that certainly explains this…"

"What is it?"

"'Kama Sutra' and 'Complete Guide For Lasting Relationship' from Scott. You think we overdid our little play at the ball last week?"

"I wasn't the one who tore off buttons from my favorite shirt!"

"Oh, yeah? And who took off my belt? I still haven't found the buckle!"

"Will you stop bitching about that goddamned buckle? It was ugly as hell anyway! We have more important issues at hand right now."

"Yeah. We do. I think I'm going to gag if I see them whispering and smirking one more time when we step in to the room."

* * *

Their little plan to chase off unwanted suitors from Marie's tale had backfired. Badly. Now the whole mansion was gossiping about the new, hot pair.

"We could of course wait. See if this…"

"Just fades away? Logan! Jean gave me condoms, for Christ's sakes!"

"Do you need them?"

"No. At least not as long as everybody thinks I'm dating you."

"Well, give them to me. I could always use some extra."

"What about those books Scott gave to you? Are you going to read them?"

"Nope. You want them?"

"Just give me the Kama Sutra. I don't think I need that other one."

"You really need Kama Sutra? You had me rattling around in your head almost a year after the Liberty."

"Duh. At the time I tried not to look too closely when your memories surfaced. Just give me the damn book!"

"Fine. There. Found somebody interesting?"

"Nope. But it's good to be prepared."

"Yeah. But I have to warn you. Most of what's in it is bullshit."

"Logan!"

"Well… Let's see… There's this one."

"What's that?"

"Hell if I know. Looks like that guy has two dicks. And that chick even more."

"Oh… Eww…. Hmm? Is it possible to bend that way?"

"What way? …Oh, that. Well… I think… Yeah. Yeah. I probably could if I…"

"Watch your back. It'll be hard as hell to explain to Jean how you managed to pop a ligament just by reading a book."

"Oh. Yeah. Good point."

* * *

They sat on her bed for a long moment, just staring at the opposite wall. The Kama Sutra was still lying open on her lap. Soon their eyes drifted back to the picture they had been looking at earlier.

"You're shitting me. You can't do that. It's not possible to bend that way."

"It is. But you have to be careful. And you can't really do anything when you're in that position."

"Then… What's the point?"

"Like I said. Bullshit."


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm not feeling too good…"

"I knew I should have left those condoms to you. Who was it?"

"Logan, I'm not pregnant! I have a flu!"

"Oh… Sorry."

* * *

She wiped her nose and discarded the used tissue to the growing pile next to her bed. Her head hurt. Her throat was sore. And her tolerance for stupidity was exactly nil. She wanted nothing more than to wallow alone in her misery, but Logan was having none of that.

"Are you sure that you're not pregnant? You were sick this morning, and look at what you're eating! What the fuck is that?" Logan sniffled, trying to identify the green, steaming sludge that sat on a bowl on her nightstand.

"I was sick this morning because according to Jean all the snot from my nose had flown to my stomach when I slept. And that sludge… I'm not eating it. It's Jubilee's grandmother's old recipe that's supposed to cure everything from sore throat to AIDS, but I'm not going to touch it. I'm just waiting that it cools down enough so that I can flush it from the toilet."

"Okay. What do you want to do?"

"I'd love to kick your ass out of here, but unfortunately I'm too tired to do that…"

"I have an idea. We could go and watch a movie."

"Logan, I can hardly stay awake, let alone sit in a rec room watching movie…"

"You can lay on the couch. Come on…"

"Logan… There's a game on tonight, isn't it? You just want me to come with you so that everybody else runs away in fear of germs and you can watch it in peace, right?" Her exhausted mind managed to put two and two together. At least Logan had the decency to look apologetic.

"Uh… Busted?"

She wiped her nose again. Then tried to turn on her side, but it wasn't working very well. It was hard to breathe and she was in turn shivering from cold and in turn sweating like a pig.

"Logan, I'd really appreciate if you got the hell away from me right now. I'm not in the mood for company…" She mumbled, closing her eyes. She heard Logan standing up from the floor where he had sat and his footsteps retreating. The door of her room closed and she heard the lock clicking shut. Finally. She let out a soft sigh and tried to relax. Then suddenly her eyes flew wide open, just in time for her to see Logan crawling on to the bed with her.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Um… Coming to sleep with you?"

"What the… Oh, crap. Logan, please… I really… Really need to sleep…"

"Then stop that fucking whining and start sleeping!"

"I was going to sleep but then this Neanderthal crawled in to bed with me…"

"This Neanderthal just wants to make sure that you get better soon."

"No touching. No touching or I'll kick your ass to next week, flu or no flu…"

"But what if I just… I could be quick. You wouldn't even notice…"

"Logan, no. Hands off. Hands off from there! Logan!"

"Ticklish?"

"Logan, stop!"

"Not until you give in…"

"I'm going to scream… I'm going to scream!"

"Scream all you like. They're already thinking that we bunk together. Now, what kind of a man would I be if I didn't make you scream every once and a while?"

Logan's fingers were digging mercilessly to her sides, teasing just the right nerves, and she had to do something. Since screaming wasn't an option and Logan's considerable bulk on top of her prevented her from struggling she had no choice. Her control slipped. Not for Long, but Logan smelt the difference in her scent immediately. His hands were still tangled to her blanket so he kissed her forehead quickly. Then her lips, with more force and determination, lingering perhaps little longer than it was absolutely necessary. Leaving them both breathless and dizzy.

"As soon… As soon as I figure out why exactly that was a bad idea I'm going to kick your ass…"

"Go ahead, darling… Was well worth it… Now I don't have to go alone with Scott to that fundraiser tomorrow…"


	12. Chapter 12

Agonizing hours of fake smiles and pretended politeness were finally over. She stretched her back and shuffled to kitchen, kicking off the torture devices she had had to wear. High heels just didn't cooperate with her feet. She spotted Logan sitting out on the patio. He had discarded his tux, but was still wearing the white shirt and black slacks. Shirt was partially unbuttoned and he had rolled up the sleeves.

* * *

"Celebrating the fact that you managed the whole evening without popping your claws?" She asked, noting the bottle of whiskey that was already half empty. Logan grunted and took a sip, then handed her a slip of paper.

"Found this taped to my door when we got back."

She started to read. Then froze. Her gaze flickered from paper to Logan who was staring at the decorative fishpond little further in the garden.

"Logan… I… I'm so sorry." She handed the paper back to him. Logan shrugged his shoulders and took out his lighter. Held the paper in the air and lit it.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted…"

She watched as the flames ate greedily line after line, until all there was left were few scraps of ashes.

"I didn't know it was that serious," she said, sitting next to Logan, suddenly unsure of what to do or say.

"It was. It wasn't like I was going to propose her, but I wasn't fucking around either."

"Oh. Then why did she write that she was tired of playing the second fiddle? I thought she believed when I explained her what happened at the ball?"

"I thought so too. Looks like we were wrong."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, shush. This isn't your fault. I could have handled it little better myself. I think she was expecting me to ask her to the fundraiser with me instead of taking you," Logan huffed, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Why didn't you? I wouldn't have minded…"

"But the professor would have. He asked me to take you. There was a possibility of an attack. FOH has been restless lately."

"How nice. And here I was thinking that you wanted me to tag along because you actually enjoy my company," she huffed in mock annoyance. They both sighed. The fountain in the fishpond gurgled and splurted. First crickets of the spring were tuning their violins.

* * *

"I do."

"Huh?"

"I do enjoy your company. At first professor tried to propose that I'd go alone with Scott. Knowing him, and me that would have ended badly. I know how you still don't like the crowds, so I thought I could take Cas with me, but professor shot that plan down. Told me to choose somebody from the mansion. His first candidate was Jean. I rather took you. When it comes to dealing with Scott and me, Jean's kind of biased."

"And I'm not?"

"Are you?" Logan asked, letting go of her and leaning back, resting the back of his head against the railing of the patio, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If you had to choose which one of us to stop falling from a cliff, me or Scott, which one you'd choose?" He asked.

"Duh. That's a no-brainer. Of course I would grab Scott first. You're too heavy for me to carry and even if you did got hurt you'd heal fast."

"See what I mean? Everybody else around here would try to figure out a way to save both of us and in the mean time we would both fall. That's why I wanted you to come with me. You got your priorities straight and sorted out, kid."

"Gee, thanks' dad! Doesn't mean that I'd like to abandon you."

"Fuck. Don't ever do that again."

"Do what?"

"Gives me the creeps when you call me dad."

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't think of you as my dad."

"Good. I get to ogle your boobs freely, then."

"As long as you don't mind me ogling your ass."

"Shit. We're pathetic."

"Come on! If you can't check out your best friend's equipment…"

"… Who the hell else are you going to check out? Right. Whiskey?"

She took the bottle Logan was offering and took a small sip, grimacing slightly. Leaned against the railing behind her back and kicked the fragile, ashen remains of the letter that he burnt.

"We're good? No hidden urges to wring my neck because of Cas?" She asked. Logan reached for the bottle and flashed her a small smile.

"No hidden urges. If she had made me choose between the two of you, you would have won anyway. Fucking nobody gets to decide with who I spend my time with."


	13. Chapter 13

"I swear I'll spank your ass black and blue once we get back home!"

"Promises, promises… why do you keep teasing me like that when you're not going to deliver anyway?"

"Marie… Kid… This isn't a fucking joke. You could have gotten hurt!"

"I could have. But I didn't. Isn't that what matters?"

"I'm going to have to talk to Scott about this."

"You're going to tell to daddy that I've been a bad girl?"

"Marie! You're fucking drunk! You were drunk on a mission!"

"Not drunk. Just a bit tipsy. And I wasn't when I left. I wasn't drunk when I left home this morning, I only am drunk now because those nice men wanted to have some drinks with me before they gave me the information I was supposed to bring to Xavier."

"Right. Do you have any fucking idea why they wanted you to drink with them?"

"No? They were polite enough to offer me some? Come on, Logan! I'm not that naïve! They were trying to get me to pass out! But I was better than them. I was better than all of them together!"

"Fuck. You can't… You can't run around like a headless chicken! You can't throw yourself to danger and just keep hoping that somehow you'll end up back to safety!"

"Why not? You do that all the time."

"Duh! I do that because I can! Even if something happens I bounce back! You don't bounce, kid!"

"I do bounce. At least some parts of me. You said it yourself last week, and…"

"Fur fuck's sake, kid! We're not talking about your breasts! We're talking about your life! Unlike your breasts which you have the whopping two pieces you have only one fucking life! And it's a life I'm not willing to squander just because you were 'a bit tipsy'!"

"You're not willing to squander my life? And who the fuck died and made you a god who gets to decide what I do with my life?"

"I died. You live only because I died back at the Liberty. And I'm as sure as hell won't let you treat the life you got from me like trash!"

* * *

She stuck her tongue out before sliding sideways on her seat, fixing her gaze to the scenery that was speeding past at alarming pace. The thing was, that Logan was right. She hated it when he was right. Well, he usually was right, but he usually didn't rub it in her face like this. And she usually didn't feel this guilty. He was too right, and she was acting like a spoiled brat instead of the sensible adult everybody expected her to be. Everybody including the professor Xavier who had sent her out to do a simple errand for him, to fetch few files that an old friend of is had sent to him.

She had been bored because it was starting to look like she was doomed for these pick-ups for the rest of her life, unlike other members of the team who got to go to combat as well. She had been bored enough to accept an invitation to a party of sorts. The guys that had been guarding the files she was supposed to retrieve were every bit as bored as she.

Few hours later it had become apparent that the guys had no intentions of letting her leave with the files. They had no intentions of letting her go at all. She had locked herself to the bathroom of the motel room and called to her knight in shining armor that had charged to the scene with the gardener's olive green pick-up truck, cussing a blue streak and giving the men exactly ten seconds to vacate the room before he got really pissed off.

* * *

"I'm sorry. That was a shitty thing to say. I didn't mean it like you should… I'm not expecting any kind of gratitude or compensation from you. But I do expect that you start respecting yourself, kid. If not for you, do it for me."

"Hmh?"

The truck stopped. Logan stepped out to the curb and helped her down as well. Then hoisted her up on the hood of the truck crossed his arms over her thighs and let his head rest against them.

"If you're going to start a new lecture of how I should start behaving, can it wait until we get home? You and professor and Scott can nag my ears off and…"

"I'm not going to give you a lecture, kid. But I want you to listen."

"Okay…"

"Forget the shit I said about Liberty. Forget it. But remember this. You're responsible for the both of us. I have no fucking clue of how I'm going to get along and keep going if something happens to you."

"Logan… Uh…"

"I love you, Marie."

"Umm… This is awkward…"

"Yeah. But I do love you. I want you to remember that the next time you get an urge to do something extremely stupid. I want you to remember that there's somebody waiting and worrying over you."

"But Logan… I don't… I really like you, but…"

"I love you. That doesn't mean that I want to marry you. That doesn't mean that I want you in to my bed. It means that I need you in my life."

"I…"

"You can call from the bottom of Hell, and I will come to you. Only thing I'm expecting in return from you is to not actively try to get in there in the first place."


	14. Chapter 14

"Anything, my ass…" Logan grunted, chewing on his cigar. Marie was somewhere close by, probably getting her tongue sucked out and nipples twisted to tight knots. Scent of her arousal was mingling with the fake smoke and stench of booze and cheap perfumes.

* * *

Scott had ordered him to clean up the Blackbird. His turn and everything. He had spotted Marie and asked her to help out.

* * *

"And you just had to go and promise her anything in exchange, you fucking dumb shit…" He grunted and threw back a girly blue drink Marie had discarded in front of him earlier.

This wasn't his kind of place. He was too sour. He was too old. He was too fucking tired and agitated and all too aware of all the people around him. Loud and repetitive beat of the noise they had the balls to call a music was tearing huge gaping holes through his eardrums, of course only figuratively speaking. He had checked, twice already. Battled his way to the men's room and to a decorative mirror in there to see if the blood was actually pouring from his ears, but such luck hadn't yet happened.

"Kid!" He reached with his right hand, blindly. Felt something between his fingers and grasped it. Pulled it in front of his face. For a moment a very confused and scared frat boy stared at him, then he discarded the poor schmuck and reached again, finding a shirt that felt familiar. This second try produced Marie.

"What?" She looked slightly pissed off, but he figured he'd be a hell of a lot more pissed if she'd done the same to him.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if we could move this party to somewhere less…"

"Public?"

"Noisy. If I spend one minute more in here I'm liable to bust my eardrums."

"Okay. I just tell… Where the hell did he go?"

"That prick that tried to get in to your pants? I think I saw him running towards the exit."

"Logan!"

"Sorry? How the fuck was I supposed to know that he'd run…"

"You could have at least tried to stop him! I was this close of getting laid!"

"Well, excuse me… Think of it as a payback. Can we please leave?"

"But you promised me that you'd spend some time with me…"

"Marie! The entire time we have spent in here you have been sucking tongues! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you wanted to spend some time with me…"

"Fine. Let's go."

* * *

She was sulking. Definitely sulking. The fact that it was raining, and Logan had earlier decided to be a responsible adult and left his bike back at Xavier's since the entertainment of the evening consisted mostly of booze didn't improve her mood. Nor the fact that Logan found it only hilarious that her date had taken off. She wanted to go home. Go home and go to sleep like a good little girl.

"Where the hell are we going?" She asked when it started to look like Logan was contended walking in the freezing rain.

"You'll see. You'll see soon enough…" He answered throwing her a cryptic smirk. She wiped off the strands of wet hair that had plastered over her forehead.

"Fuck… I probably look like Alice Cooper by now…" She muttered, trying to remember if her mascara was waterproof.

"Cute Cooper," Logan corrected her, stopping her and wiping the dark smudges from under her eyes with his thumbs.

"I really am sorry if I interrupted something important. But I thought that I should at least let you know that I was leaving before I left. Wouldn't been fair to abandon you."

She shrugged her shoulders. It was so goddamned hard to stay mad at him when he looked at her like that, sincere apology shining in his eyes, small smile tickling the corners of his mouth.

"Nah… It wasn't that important. Wasn't as if I was planning to marry the guy…" She drawled. Logan snorted.

"Marriage is overrated anyway. For what do we need spouses for?"

"Uh… To share our lives with… Logan? What are we doing here?"

* * *

They were standing at the dock. Water was lapping gently against the support pillars somewhere down below, and she could see the enormous bulk of the Statue Of The Liberty standing further in the darkness.

"Sightseeing? Considering that we both almost got killed up there I thought it would be only appropriate to come and see the place."

"You haven't seen it before?"

"I have. But never really looked at it."

They stood in silence, Logan a warm and sturdy column behind her back, his hands around her shoulders and his jaw resting at the top of her head.

"Marry if you want to. When you find the right guy. Me… There's not that much to share in my life. And what there is to share… I already share it with you. That's enough for me."


	15. Chapter 15

"When do they get in to their thick heads that we're not an item?" She huffed, plopping down on the couch beside Logan.

"Not anytime soon if we keep cuddling up like this…" Logan grunted, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him snugly.

"You should have seen Jubes when you walked in with Kate last night."

"Huh?"

"I was in the kitchen with Jubes when you two came in. It took her less than ten seconds to drag me out to the patio so that you could sneak in without me noticing that you had company. Like it matters… Where is she, by the way? Why on earth are you sulking here on your own instead of cuddling up with Kate?"

"I'd imagine she's with her husband. It's their anniversary today."

"What the crap? How the hell do you think you can keep your girls if you keep going after married ones?"

"And what gave you the impression that I want to keep them? Easier for everybody this way."

"Even if I lived to be hundred years I'd never understand you…"

* * *

Logan was flipping through channels, his fingers curling idly around strands of her heir that rested on her shoulder. Wednesday, and there was nothing good on TV. Wednesday and their turn to stay home and watch that the kids obeyed the curfew.

"We should get married," she suddenly sighed, stretching on the couch so that her head rested on Logan's lap. He had turned off the TV and was staring at her with suspicious eyes.

"Why?"

"I don't know. We're already acting like old, married couple?"

"And that's a good reason to get married?"

"Well, Yeah?"

"Jesus, kid… How fucked up from the head you are?"

"Look who's talking…"

"Takes one to know one… But seriously, where did you get this bright idea?"

"Felt like something we should do. Seeing as everybody already thinks we're planning to get hitched as soon as there comes a good excuse to make a trip to Vegas."

Logan was playing with her hair, his gaze fixed to a painting that hung on the wall above the TV. She could tell from the small crinkles at the corners of his eyes that he was thinking.

"Would it change anything?" He finally asked.

"No? Why should it?" She asked.

"Marriage usually comes with certain privileges and obligations."

"Well, you already think I'm a hottie, and you don't look too bad yourself…"

"Fuck, kid… This is a joke, right? Just tell me when it's okay to laugh."

"Not a joke. Just something that came to my mind when I was thinking how boring this night is going to be."

"I don't know should I be insulted or flattered."

"Just forget it… You think we could sneak out for a while? Go and rent some movie?"

"What kind of a movie? Last time you cheated."

"Cheated? It was an action movie!"

"Rated PG-13. And only real action happened at the last possible minutes."

"You started snoring after first five minutes. You looked so tired that I had no heart to wake you up. It isn't my fault that you missed the whole freaking show."

"It was black and white. Who the fuck makes black and white movies today anyways?"

"Only first scenes were black and white. Stop whining. At least the lead actor was good looking."

"So… While I slept innocently like a baby you kept drooling and having x-rated fantasies about strange men in leather coats, is that it? Is that proper behavior for my wife to be?"

"Logan!"

"Fine. Go and get your coat. But no more Jackass-movies, okay?"

"Jackman, Hugh Jackman!"

"What?"

"The name of that good-looking actor. Jackass is a completely different show."

"Jackass, Jackman… What's the difference?"

"Jackass-guys are a bunch of hideous looking morons. Jackman looks a lot like you, you big dope!"

"Oh… On the other hand, it isn't fair to judge that movie so hastily. After all I slept through the better part of it. Maybe we should rent it again…"

"You're so easy!"

"Easy and free, darling. And all yours for tonight…"

* * *

She sniffled and reached for a box of tissues. Logan beat her to it and offered the box to her. She turned on his lap facing him instead of the flickering screen of the TV. He was a manly man, of course he wasn't sniffling, but there was the telltale moist gleam on his eyes.

"We should have picked another movie…" She whispered. Logan shook his head.

"No… It's… It was okay. Better than staring at the Shopping Channel," he grunted, reaching for the cover of the film and picked it up. Stared at it for a moment.

"But I like old movies better," was his final judgment.

"Why?" She asked, wiping her nose.

"In those the hero gets the girl in the end. Nowadays the hero, the girl, or both of them get killed. Or end up otherwise separated."

"Aww… You're just a big softie…" Marie smiled and snuggled closer to him, pressing her face against his chest. His hands curled around her and she could feel him shifting a bit.

"Yeah. I'm a pansy. I like happy endings better than this weird crap. How the hell is it supposed to make that poor guy to feel any better when he knows that his girl went to Heaven instead of Hell?"

"He knows that she's in the good place with her family?"

"Hmph… Wouldn't matter to me. Maybe I'm a selfish bastard, but all I got out from that ending was that they were separated against their will. I couldn't… I wouldn't let that happen. Ever."

His hands clasped even tighter around her, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin when he nuzzled the crown on her head briefly before letting go of her.

"But what the heck do I know about those things anyway… Up you go, it's time to make the rounds and check if those brats actually obey the curfew tonight. I think I heard a window opening at the second floor few minutes ago…"


	16. Chapter 16

She picked up the phone when it rang, her mind gazillion miles away, still fiddling with the enormous task of grading the drawings of her art class, slightly annoyed from the interruption.

"Mistress Rogue speaking. Sit down, relax and open your pants, I'll be attending to your case shortly."

"That an offer, kid? I sure could use good and long fuck right about now…"

"Logan?"

"Well who the fuck else do you know that calls you at three in the morning?"

"Why the hell are you even calling? Your room is right next to mine, you moron!"

"Duh! How long have you been cooped up in to yours? Haven't been at home the whole fucking day! Scott dragged me with him first thing in the morning, and now the freaking jet broke down in the middle of nowhere and there's abso-fucking-lutely nothing we can do before Jean gets here with spare parts, which is going to happen sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"And you called me in the middle of the night because you're stuck with Scott and you need to get laid?"

"Well… Yeah. I meant to call to Kate, but I guess numbers got mixed up…"

"I have ten more drawings to grade. Do us both a favor. Hung up the phone and call to Kate, okay?"

"You're no fun… What kind of a friend abandons me in the hour of need?"

"You have been reading my harlequins again, haven't you?"

"Busted… So, grading drawings, huh?"

"Yeah. Let me tell you… It's a lot harder than you'd think. They're all good. All good in some aspects, all suck in some aspects and I know those kids like the backs of my hands. How the hell am I supposed to give fair treatment to them all?"

She could hear leather creaking, Scott talking in the background. Something rustled and suddenly the line went dead.

"Logan?"

There was no answer. She plunked the phone back to the cradle and picked up yet another drawing, trying to focus past the knowledge that the kid who had drawn it had only two fingers and that she had used her toes to hold the pen while drawing it. The phone rang again.

"Logan?"

"Yeah. Line went dead. Shitty reception around here. Those brats giving you trouble?"

"Nothing that I couldn't handle. But seriously, why don't you go and find nice and comfortable place away from Scott and call to Kate. I'm sure she'd be more than willing to help you out."

"Sex on the phone? Kind of pointless if you ask from me."

"How's so?"

"Major point of the whole thing's missing. Can't feel or smell anything beside myself. Not a big turn-on."

"Use your imagination! That's the whole point of it!"

"Okay. I could try… What are you wearing?"

"Satin gown, black lace bra and thong. And silk stockings."

"Jesus Christ. I think it might actually work."

"Yeah. Well, I leave you to it, then…."

"Don't you hang up on me now! You can't leave me like this!"

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"This isn't fucking happening… You're kidding me, right?"

"Wait. Just wait up, I'm going outside. I think Scott has already heard enough…"

She heard him walking, soft thuds when he was in the jet, then silent creaking of snow under his boots. Snow. They were somewhere up north.

* * *

"I miss you." His voice was lacking the earlier cockiness. It was a mere whisper. She could hear him inhaling, and she could almost taste the scent of cigar at the back of her throat.

"I wish I could say the same. But I have been so busy that I haven't really even thought about you," she admitted guiltily.

"I'm proud of you. Xavier knew what he was doing when he hired you to teach art. Just… Would it be possible for you to let go for a sec? I was thinking that we could go out this weekend."

She turned her gaze to the pile of drawings on her desk. She really had been neglecting Logan for the past few months. All in favor for her new position as a teacher.

"Look… I wouldn't ask otherwise, but I really do miss you. And lately you have been looking like you could use a break."

"Well, thanks a bunch! Let's see how perky you look after few weeks with these little monsters…"

"That's not what I meant and you know that, Marie. What's it going to be? Do we have a date?"

Her eyes landed on the drawings again.

"We have a date."


	17. Chapter 17

"I told you to call to Kitty…"

"Stop whining. I called to Scott because that was the right thing to do. He's the team leader, it's his decision."

"You leave it… Up to Scott to decide… Whether I get out of this easily or painfully? …Are you fucking nuts?"

"I must be. There's no other explanation to this mess…"

* * *

She shifted on the ground, urging Logan to lay his head on her lap. It was raining. Weather was surprisingly cold. And they were stuck. And she wasn't even supposed to be here.

"I bet Max is currently wondering is it worth it to date a superhero when I have to cancel half of our dates just to bail your ass from the trouble…" She muttered wiping wet strands of hair from Logan's forehead. Something creaked silently. Metal bending. Logan gasped and grasped her wrist.

"That better not be your legs…" She said. Logan shook his head.

"It's that fucking girder… It's coming down…"

* * *

He was stuck. Huge girder had fallen on top of him and covered him from the waist down.

"What's taking him so long!"

"It's not you who's stuck. I'm sure Scott'll be here soon… Call to Max and tell him you're going to be little late… You can still make it if you take my bike…"

"Are you nuts? I'm not going to leave you here alone!"

* * *

Clock was ticking. She checked her watch for the umpteenth time, just to see that Max was probably already sitting at Xavier's kitchen, waiting for her to get ready for their date. And here she was.

"Shit. Feels like I wet my pants…" She was sitting in a steadily growing puddle of water, trying to keep Logan from drowning.

"I'm making you that hot?" Logan tried to chuckle.

"Yeah. This rain and muck has nothing to do with that."

"I knew it… Maybe we should do something about that when Scott gets me loose from here…"

"Hmm…"

"Ditch Max… I'll be good to you, kid…"

"Sure. As soon as we get you loose we'll ditch Max and Scott, take the Blackbird and fly to Vegas."

"Vegas? …Have to marry you before I can screw you?"

"I'm an old-fashioned chick. No fling before the ring."

"Shit… Let's see… You want diamonds?"

"Of course! The bigger, the better!"

"You wouldn't settle for plain gold?"

"Nope. And I want big wedding."

"Big party… In Vegas?"

"Yes. Us, couple of hundred dancers, Elvis-priest… The whole shebang."

"Shit. I knew there was a catch… We probably should talk about this when I'm able to pay for all that…"

"Chicken."

"What?"

"Chicken."

"Easy to mock now… Let's see after I get up from… Oh, fucking-Christ!"

"Stop struggling. It'll only come down quicker."

"Spank you, Einstein. Kind of noticed that..."

* * *

She called to Scott again. He was powering up the Blackbird. Logan was making faces during her whole conversation with their leader, and when she turned off the radio he grasped it and flung it away. She could hear it landing somewhere in the darkness with a great splash.

"Are you insane? What if something happens and I need to contact Scott again?" She asked, trying to scramble up. Logan grasped her waist and forced her to stay still.

"There's a locator inside of that walkie-talkie… He'll find us… We need to talk."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Oh… Sorry. Well, we need to talk anyway… About Max."

"Logan, is this really…"

"You have been going out with him… What is it… Almost half a year now?"

"Yes?"

"You're still just dating… Kid, what the fuck is wrong with you? Max is a good guy… Little pansy, but he's a good guy…"

"Just dating? I have no time for more, and even if I had, I'd…"

"Bullshit, kid. That's bullshit and you know that! …Get real or let the poor guy go… You can't dangle him as you like… He has a life too…"

"What… Logan, it's none of your business!"

"It's my business when Max starts calling me in the middle of the night, asking if I'm ever going to let go of his girl! …Fuck…"

"Stop shouting. You'll only hurt yourself…"

"Will you listen to what I have to say! Shit… Kid, haven't you learned anything… The way I do things… It's not how they're done…"

"I think you have been doing pretty darn good job with me."

"That's different… You're different. But you don't want to end up like me. You're not like me… It doesn't bother me if a chick kicks me out, I can always find a new one… Eventually I'd even have to; I'm not big in to funerals and shit… But you live and get old… get old like Max and everybody else."

"You think I should marry Max?"

"I don't fucking care if you marry or not! But stop playing with him!"

* * *

For a long moment she sat in silence. She wanted to kick Logan. She wanted to let him drown to the slushy muck surrounding them. She really, truly hated the situations when he was so fucking right and insightful.

"You think I should break up with him?"

"It's not my decision to make… But the poor guy is already splitting from the seams. Do something."

"What if… What if I wanted something more serious with him?"

"Wha… Are you asking my permission?"

"No… Yes... I don't know!"

"When it comes to Max and you, I shouldn't even be anywhere near that equation, kid… It's not my place. Not my business."

She thought about it for a moment.

"I'm scared. Scared of what will happen if I let things get any serious than they are now," she finally confessed.

"Yeah. You and me both… Chicken shit when it comes to this relationship-crap… But hey, look on the bright side: even if things go sour with Max… I'm not going anywhere. I'll be there for you, kid."

"Thanks… I'll… You know that it works for both ways, right?"

"Yeah… You and me… We stick together…"

"Of course, if you feel like sharing this touching moment with anybody… I'll deny everything," Logan said with a crooked grin tugging the corner of his mouth when black and sleek figure of the Blackbird started landing. She leaned lower and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Nobody would believe me anyway. Okay, brace yourself. We're going to yank you loose now."


	18. Chapter 18

Her private, impromptu party was at full swing. She felt giddy. Music was blaring from the stereo system, and the bottle of whiskey she had confiscated from the professor Xavier's liquor cabinet was already half empty. Or half full, if one wanted to look at things optimistically.

"What's the occasion?" Logan asked, leaning against the doorjamb, hands stuffed in to the pockets of his faded jeans. She raised her hand and offered it for him for inspection. He let out a low whistle and stepped closer, grasping her hand and smiled warmly.

"Congrats, kid. But where's Max? I would have thought that you'd be partying with him." She shook her head, then reached for the volume control of the stereo and tuned it down. Twirled the sparkling ring around her finger and took it off.

"He didn't ask me. I was just… It's silly."

Logan sat on the edge of her bed and took a swig from the bottle she offered.

"What's silly?" He asked.

"That ring. I have had it with me for ages. It belonged to my grandma. I just… I just put it on and tried to imagine what it would be like. How it would feel to be… 'Taken'."

"And from the looks of it you're all for it. Good for you, kid," Logan said, still smiling, but then frowned.

"And Max? What's his opinion?" He asked. That question brought her down from her temporary high and she sat down modestly, not wanting to bounce up and down on the bed anymore.

"I don't know anymore."

* * *

She felt giddy no more. And the whole thing started to feel stupider every passing moment that she spent sitting beside Logan who was toying with now almost empty whiskey bottle.

"You don't know? Have you talked about it with him?" Logan asked when the silence between them stretched to the point that it started to feel uncomfortable.

"I have. I have talked about it. But I'm not sure if Max has been listening. And he sure as hell hasn't talked about it after he caught us," she muttered. Logan shoved the bottle to her and raked his fingers through his wild hair.

"Jesus, didn't that sound just a little bit weird and dirty all of a sudden…" He muttered, standing up and walking to the window.

* * *

It had been right after Marie and Scott had rescued Logan from being crushed under a collapsing building. Logan had been feeling still queasy after they had gotten back home. She had helped him to get undressed, and since his bathroom had been temporarily out of order due to plumbing there being renovated they had used her bathroom to clean off muck, dirt and grime. Since they both had been cold and tired, it had made perfect sense to shower together and help each other out. And Max had chosen that exact moment to walk in on them.

"I thought we cleared that with Max," Logan huffed.

"I thought so too, but I guess we were wrong. But you have to look at it from his point of view. He teaches literature in the university, for Christ's sakes. Communal showering after exhausting night isn't normal occurrence in his life, at least not when it involves two people who presumably are just buddies and represent opposite sexes."

"He's jealous? For what? There was abso-fucking-lutely nothing going on! If I had known that he was coming looking for you… Fuck. I told him that there's nothing… Shit."

"I'm kind of tired of trying to put things right. If Max can't see the truth, if he won't believe me, then fuck him. I can do better than that," she huffed. Logan turned and looked at her, his left eyebrow arched questioningly.

"I'm tired of trying to justify our friendship in front of the whole fucking world. If they want to look at things from the distance and judge us because they can't see things clear enough, it's not my problem. And I need more booze since you drank all of mine."

"Okay. Grab your coat and meet me in the garage. I know just the right place," Logan grunted and stepped out from her room.

"Logan?" She shouted after him. She knew he had heard her. She couldn't hear his footsteps. He was standing there, waiting for her to finish.

"Could we swing by Max's place first?" She asked.

"Yeah. We could. But we won't."

* * *

To her surprise Logan didn't take her to a bar. He drove to a small pond near the Xavier's mansion, and pulled out several bottles of whiskey and a blanket.

"We're going to get us both drunk," he grunted, spreading the blanket over the cool sand and handing her a bottle.

"Why wouldn't you let me see Max?" She asked after she had taken a sip and they had settled comfortably on the blanket.

"You're drunk already. You would have said or done something you would have regretted tomorrow."

"Bullshit."

"Bullshit? I believe it is bullshit if you have the guts to go and break it off with Maximilliam tomorrow when you're sober."

"He's not Maximilliam. And I wasn't going to break it off. I was just going to ask him if he wanted a break for a while. If he wanted to sort things out on his own before he decided…"

"B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T. You want a break because you don't know what to do or what to think."

"F you, Wolvie."

"Anytime, anywhere, darling… But I didn't bring you here so that we could talk about Max."

"Really? Then what are we doing here?"

"We're going to talk about rats. And mice."

"Uh… You're drunk already?"

"Nope. But on my way there. Watched a movie with kids earlier. I think it was called Flushed Away. There was this rat and it got flushed down the toilet and…"

"Mouse."

"What?"

"It was a mouse called Roddy. I have seen it. Went to see it wit Jubes few months ago."

"What ever. And then there were snails. Musical snails."

"Logan? Are you high or something?"

"Nope."

"Then what the fuck are you babbling about?"

"Trying desperately change the subject since you don't want to talk about Max."

"Could we just sit here and drink? Without talking?"

"Yeah. We could."

"Then shut up already."

"…And sleep with me."

"What?"

"Wasn't that a song? Shut up and sleep with me? I think I heard it once from the radio…"

"Well, it's you who's going to have to shut up, and I'm not as sure as hell going to sleep with you."

"It was a song, kid."

"You have weird taste in music."

"Never said that I liked it."

"Then why did you brought it up?"

"I was just trying to distract myself from talking about that blasted movie."

"So it's either Roddy or sleeping with you?"

"Yeah. Pick your poison."

"I think I'll choose the door number three."

"What's behind door number three?"

"Ice cream. You want some?"

"You have some? Where?"

"There's this shop that sells all kinds of flavors in the city. Just adorable small boutique…"

"So I have to drive you there so that I can get some ice cream?"

"Yeah."

"No dice, kid. It's booze and sleeping with me."

"What about Roddy?"

"I'm not in to rats."

"Roddy's not a rat. He's a mouse."

"What ever. I'm not sharing."

* * *

"Uh… Is it just me or is this conversation turning in to strange direction?" Marie asked. Logan shrugged his shoulders.

"What would you do if I actually said 'yes' one of these times when you ask me to sleep with you? Would you fuck me?" She asked. And suddenly Logan found the toes of his boots immensely interesting. She could have sworn that he blushed. But that couldn't be…

"No."

"No? I should have known. You're all bark and no bite…" She huffed, taking a long swig from her almost empty bottle.

"You're an old-fashioned girl…" Logan started.

"Oh, please…" She grunted.

"You said that yourself. And I happen to know that it is true. And if there's one thing I have learned… It's not a good idea to fuck old-fashioned girls."

"Then what do you do with them?" She asked, her curiosity awakened. Logan granted her a lopsided grin and took a healthy swig from his bottle.

"You love them. You wait for them. Sometimes you have to let go of them, sometimes it pays off to stay and wait…"

"Logan! You're a shameless flirt!"

"And proud of it, darling. But seriously… You're drunk as a skunk already. You're going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow. Ready to go home?" He asked.

"I guess so… Thanks."

"For what?"

"For stopping me from making the biggest mistake of my life."

"What are friends for…"

"You're my friend because you like to ogle my breasts and I'm your friend because I just adore your tight ass."

"Yeah. Couldn't have said it better myself."


	19. Chapter 19

It was a truly disturbing sight. She blinked once, then twice. No. It was still there. He was still there. Sitting at the table, wearing pajama and a robe, both made of dark blue silk. Usually unruly and quite wild hairdo was smoothed back, probably with the aid of various hair care products. Chin and cheeks were clean-shaven. Skin smooth as a baby's butt. As she watched the man in question shifted, hand rose and tilted a bottle of beer to his lips. Even that looked somehow wrong. He didn't lean back and let out a loud belch. He didn't wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. Just placed the bottle back to the table and leaned his jaw against his crossed forearms, letting out a pleased sigh.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked, walking in to the kitchen.

"Carol happened," Logan grunted without averting his eyes from the etiquette of the bottle in front of him.

"Carol?"

"Mrs. Green."

"Oh, my God! Have you been boning the mayors mother?" She gasped. That roused Logan from his momentarily melancholy and he cast her an annoyed glance.

"I have certain standards, darling. I try to avoid sleeping with hags that are most likely decades older than I."

"Then what the hell is this?" She asked, taking a cold beer from the fridge and plopping opposite him, handing the bottle to him for opening it. Cap popped open and he handed the bottle back to her.

"This is the new look of Mrs. Green's assigned bodyguard."

"Assigned what?"

"Bodyguard. Carol is one of those yahoos who claim that the world would be a better place if we all could just get along better with each other. Now she got in to her head that a weeklong visit to a known mutie haven would patch up relations even better than occasional fundraisers. But since every one of us is a known mutie, her husband demanded from Xavier an assigned assistant and a bodyguard. Nobody else wanted the gig and I got stuck with it."

"And Carol gets to boss you around because…"

"Xavier threatened to turn me thinking as a six years old girl if our dear lady has any complaints after the week is over."

"Where is she?"

"She's closer to eighty years old. What do you think?"

"Sleeping?"

"Wrong. She called some friends of hers over and they're playing bridge. In my room because it has just the right atmosphere."

"And by the right atmosphere she means…"

"I have no fucking clue. But I'm quite sure that I wouldn't find it flattering if she explained it."

* * *

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping beer. Then the curiosity got the better of her. She reached over the table.

"Can I…?" She asked. Logan shrugged his shoulders and leaned closer.

"Knock yourself out…"

She placed her fingers over his cheek, drawing a line from his cheekbone to the tip of his jaw. Skin underneath was smooth, warm and soft. A hint of stubble felt slightly prickly. She leaned back and tilted her head.

"It looks… Weird. Not bad, but weird."

"Spank you, kid…" Logan mumbled raking fingers through his hair, letting few black tendrils escape drooping down over his forehead.

"You look much younger without the chops," she noted. Logan nodded.

"Have you always had those or…"

"As long as I can remember. You say that it looks weird, but you don't even have a clue how weird this feels…" Logan said, rubbing his shaved chin.

"Actually it looks good on you."

"I look like a fucking pansy! All I have to do is to find a pair of tights and practice my steps and I could throw a fucking ballet performance!"

"I kind of doubt that ballet dancers have muscles like yours, honey."

"Hmph."

"Or as hairy chest as you do."

"That's not the point. This isn't… This isn't me."

"Oh, poor guy. I think I know what'll cheer you up. Come on."

Logan followed her to the elevator. At the door he stopped.

"I need my key card to access the DR."

"Go and get it then."

"I can't. It's in my room."

"Yes?"

"Last time I dared to go in there all those lovely ladies started cooing and pinching my cheeks and butt."

"No."

"Yes. They did. And one of them asked if Carol would be willing to rent me forward. But you could go and get it."

"Fine. Wait here."

* * *

She managed to get the key card after throughout questioning of her role in Logan's life. Man in question was already hovering nervously near the staircase when she returned.

"You got out of there alive. I'm impressed."

"Not as impressed as I am. I was tempted to turn on my skin when they started pinching my cheeks."

"I told you…"

* * *

"I thought we could try something different. I have been practicing with swords a little…"

"Those are not swords darling. They're called katana."

"Katana-schmatana… They're long and sharp and held with two hands. If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck…"

"It isn't duck. It's katana. Show some respect."

"I start respecting these butter knives as soon as I get you disarmed…"

"And that'll be the day when I gladly start shaving and wearing frilly underwear…"

* * *

She didn't know what she had expected to happen. But she knew now, as she lay on the cool floor of the DR, that Logan was every bit as lethal with katana as he was without it. She let her gaze travel around the room, then settled watching Logan as he went on, sparring against a holographic image of a samurai. His limbs moved gracefully. Every move was carefully considered. Every swinging arc of the blade calculated, economical and efficient. He should have looked ridiculous, running around with bare feet, sash of his robe long opened and forgotten, robe flapping around him like a cape, but somehow it was just fitting. Different side of him. The crazed berserker hidden under calm surface. 


	20. Chapter 20

"Crap… Crap… Complete crap… Uh… Utter crap…"

"Logan? What are you doing with my computer?"

"Oh, hi kid. Scott thought that he should restrict my access to computer after I hacked one of his scenarios in DR. I just came to check my e-mail."

"E-mail?"

"You have heard of it, right?"

"Yes. I thought you hadn't. After all, using one would require you to lay down your beer and let go off your dick, since you need both hands to type."

"I'm not some fucking pansy-ass secretary, don't have use for that 'both hands to the keyboard' –crap, I'll manage just fine with one hand only… Hey! Stop grinning!"

"Fine… So, what are we looking at?"

"My inbox."

"Which is currently filled with…"

"Spam."

"Oh, I thought that was your little black book, since all those mails are from women."

"You really think that if they really knew me, they'd try to sell me Viagra or… Or… What the fuck is this?"

"Gain 8 inches in just two weeks."

"I can read, thank you very much… And there it goes."

"Hey, I was reading that!"

"Stop fucking whining. You probably have same kind of bullshit waiting in your mailbox."

"Nope. My box is clean and tidy. Ever since Max tinkered a bit with that filter system, almost nothing comes through."

"Is that so? Let's see…"

"Logan? How do you know my password?"

"I read your diary?"

"Haha. I don't have a diary, and even if I had one, I wouldn't write it there."

"You talk in your sleep."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. And that's not all you do in your sleep."

"Nope. I don't believe you."

"Don't. But you do."

"Hmph… And see? I have only… What the crap?"

"You have 238 new messages. Either Max has been really missing you and really bored in that conference, or…"

"Move! Let me see!"

"I'm going, I'm going…"

* * *

"Seriously, how do you know my password?"

"It was a toss and go between 'Oh, God!', 'Just like that, big guy' and 'Max'."

"What the hell are you jabbering about?"

"You have started to sleep with your window open. Probably the whole fucking town heard how much of a stud your dear Max is."

"And you knew that 'Max' is the password, because…?"

"People are predictable. And I was bored. Went through few combinations before I hit the right one."

"Well, it's nice to know that I'm so dull and boring…"

"Heck, kid… We all are when it comes to this stuff. We choose things that mean the most to us, because they're easy to remember."

"Really? What's yours then?"

"Use that brain of yours."

"No thanks. I have no need to check your mails anyway."

* * *

Logan left. She started to tackle through the avalanche of junk mail. Out of 238 messages two were from Max, one was an old Christmas E-card from Jubilee, and rest of them were utter crap. She moved the Christmas card aside and started to read Max's messages.

She felt guilty. Both messages were filled with words and phrases of longing, and both ended with Max wishing he was there with her instead of sitting in some stupid conference on an other side of the continent. He really cared, and missed her. And she hadn't really even thought of him after he left little over week ago. She had been too busy. Busy little bee, working days and drinking with Logan at nights. Speaking of which, she would have to learn to say no to him before her liver grew to the size of Kansas.

She shook her head and deleted Max's messages. He'd be coming home tomorrow. He'd be coming home, and everything would be normal again. No need to feel guilty and ashamed that you were actually happy for the brief breather you got when he was away.

She was about to turn off the computer, when sudden whim of curiosity struck. She typed in few random phrases and numbers. Nope. Access denied. And why would she even want to know Logan's password? She tried again, this time by typing her own name, blushing and peering over her shoulder that nobody was watching. It wasn't the key either. And now she got really curious. She knew Logan used her name as the 'safe word' in DR just like she used his, but looked like he wasn't quite as predictable as she had thought.

* * *

An hour later she was still typing, now determined to find the right word. She had already tried everything related to Logan, herself and the mansion. Her finger hovered over the enter-key hesitantly. Liberty. Only one she hadn't tried yet. She glanced over her shoulder. The doorway behind her was empty. She let out a breath she had been holding and pushed the button.

Instead of dull grey mailbox she had been expecting the word opened the media player.

* * *

An hour later she still sat there, stunned. Logan's taste in music was… Interesting. As was the brief note he had left clearly for her.

'Just some songs that remind me of you.'

She'd have to talk with him. As soon as she found the courage to do it she'd turn off the computer and go and find him.


	21. Chapter 21

"Okay. Talk to me."

"Jeesh, kid? What the hell are you doing in there? I thought it was Scott's turn to take care of things tonight."

"I asked him to change shifts with me. We need to talk. But lets get you out of there first."

"Okay. I'm… This is the third floor. Left side. First door from the elevators."

"Uh… There. What the crap are you doing up there? You were supposed to go to the archives to the bottom floor!"

"Change of plans. Archives weren't there. Took me a while to sniff them out. Talk me out of here now."

"Can't sniff back your own tracks?"

"Nope. Too many bodies there. No alarms yet, but will be if you don't start talking."

"Okay, okay… Take the elevator to the second floor. There's a door on your right when you step out of it. Behind that door you'll find stairs to the back door."

"What's behind that door?"

"Uh… How fast can you run?"

"How bad is it?"

"Two auto-targeting machine gun. Electric fence. No dogs."

"No dogs? Lucky me…"

"Can you make it?"

"You'll be the first to know, darling. I'm… I'm going to cut off the radio now, okay?"

"Logan, no. It's against the rules and…"

"I'm cutting off now. I'll turn it back on as soon as I get out."

* * *

"Fuck!" She huffed and pushed back from the table she had been leaning on, wheels of the office chair whirring silently over the floor. She knew perfectly well why Logan had cut off the connection. He had gotten over his embarrassment and worry over Marie finding that even he could get hurt, so getting possibly shot at wasn't the reason. He just wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Tough luck. We are going to talk as soon as you open your link again…" She grunted, wheeled back to the radio and picked up a magazine from the pile on the table, flipping through pages and trying not to look at the clock on the wall more often than once per every two minutes. Ten minutes. She'd give him ten minutes, and if he didn't open the link as soon as it had been ten minutes, she'd know to call Scott and tell him to prepare for rescue mission.

* * *

Minutes passed. Exactly nine minutes and thirty seconds later the radio crackled to life.

"Kid? You still there?"

"You can bet on it, mister. Can you give me a good reason to write in to the log why there's almost ten minutes full silence in the recording?"

"Uh… I was in dead zone?"

"Nice try."

"Well, I was… Fuck it. Just tell Scott to screw himself if he starts grilling you…"

"What ever… But I wanted to talk with you."

"Yeah? What's it about?"

"It's about that play list you made."

"Play list?"

"Songs that remind you of me."

"Oh… That one."

"Yeah. You do realize that I'm with Max? I know we're friends and everything, but I don't think it would work out between the two of us…"

She fell silent when amused laughter crackled through the speakers.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" She asked annoyed. For the past two days she had been worried as hell, nearly unable to sleep because each and every one of the songs Logan had chosen were truth to be told rather sexually suggestive in nature.

"Sorry… Sorry about that, kid… I didn't mean to laugh, but… You thought that list was for you?" Logan asked.

"Well… Um… Yeah. I kind of figured it when the password was Liberty and… And… It isn't for me?"

"Hell, no. I made it a while back, when I was still seeing Cas."

"Oh…" She was relieved, but couldn't stop or hide the sudden pang of disappointment in her voice. She knew Logan would be able to pick it up.

"That's why you have been so fucking antsy lately?" Logan asked.

"Well, duh! 'I wanna fuck you all night long' did kind of creep me out."

"That's what you get when you go around nosing in to other peoples business…" Logan said and again barked a short laughter. She felt her cheeks reddening.

"Anyway… I don't need a fucking list of songs to remember you, kid. But if I had a list, I think there would be only one song on that list," Logan finally said with completely serious tone.

"Really? What is it?" She asked.

"That's for me to know and you to find out…"

"Not fair! You can't expect me to just drop this and…"

"Fine. Since you found my password, use that and go through my play lists. There's one song that has been played quite often. Just… Promise not to freak out again, okay?"

"Can't you just tell me now and we can get it over with?"

"There's not that many files in there. And it's the only with five star rating."

She left the com centre as soon as Logan affirmed that he was out and on his way home. Her fingers were literally itching to get on to the computer. Before she retreated to her room she however raided the kitchen, taking a cup of tea and some chocolate chip cookies with her.

* * *

An hour later she was sitting in front of the computer, still stunned. Tea was already cold, and she had only nibbled on one of the cookies. Chords of 'I Feel You' floated in the room.

_I Feel You by Depeche Mode_

_I feel you  
Your sun it shines  
I feel you  
Within my mind  
You take me there  
You take me where  
The kingdom comes  
You take me to  
And lead me through  
Babylon_

_This is the morning of our love  
Its just the dawning of our love_

_I feel you  
Your heart it sings  
I feel you  
The joy it brings  
Where heaven waits  
Those golden gates  
And back again  
You take me to  
And lead me through  
Oblivion_

_This is the morning of our love  
Its just the dawning of our love_

_I feel you  
Your precious soul  
And I am whole  
I feel you  
Your rising sun  
My kingdom comes_

_I feel you  
Each move you make  
I feel you  
Each breath you take  
Where angels sing  
And spread their wings  
My loves on high  
You take me home  
To glorys throne  
By and by_

_This is the morning of our love  
Its just the dawning of our love_


	22. Chapter 22

"I'm so fucking wasted…" She tried her best to stay upright and not to wake up anybody when she stumbled back home. Night had been a total bust. She had been late for her date with Max. Really, really late. Just because she had forgotten the time when she had been in the DR with Logan. When she had finally gotten herself to a presentable shape she had gotten the bright idea to borrow Scott's convertible since it was such a nice weather. Half way to the city it had started to rain. Not some sissy-ass dribbling either, but something that looked like somebody upstairs forgot to shut the drain while drawing a bath. She had fought tooth and nail, broken two nails and gotten her clothes soaked, several runs to her pantyhose and her carefully applied make-up had smeared making her look like something straight out of a horror-movie, and when she had finally arrived to the restaurant where Max had been waiting for her she had found out what his surprise had been. He had brought his parents along, wanting them to finally meet his girlfriend. Both Max and his parents had been utterly drunk, bored and frustrated; a fight had broken between them, and from there on the night had taken a steep turn to downhill. She had taken off when Max's parents had revealed their true nature and declared that their darling, precious son would never marry a filthy mutie. She had gotten as far as to the next bar just around the corner, expecting Max to follow her. He had called instead and told her that it was over. Since she had been in a bar already she had gone and dropped her cell phone in to ladies toilet, then proceeded to get utterly drunk, after making sure that Scott's precious automobile would be safe where it was until somebody could pick it up on the next day.

* * *

"I'm so fucking wasted…" She couldn't help repeating, then squeaked from surprise when something caught around her ankle. Something warm and alive.

"Hush… Let's not wake little green men…" She heard Logan whispering. He was lying on the floor on his stomach. He had grabbed her ankle. She dropped on her ass next to him, after she had swatted him with her girly handbag, just out of principle.

"Little green men?" It looked like Logan was considerably more drunk than she. His head rose from the floor and his blurry eyes tried to zero in on her.

"Little green men from Uranus. You know? The ones that ride with pink elephants?"

"From my anus?"

"No, you fucking idiot. The planet Uranus. What the fuck did they teach you at school anyway?" Logan grunted sounding extremely annoyed and rolled on his back, letting go of her ankle.

"Nothing about little green men or pink elephants, I'm sure… How the hell did you get that drunk?" She asked. Logan crawled closer to the wall and inched his way up until he was somewhat vertical.

"Tried to match your drinking…"

"Huh?"

"I drank, and whenever you drank I drank some more."

"You were there?" She asked, suddenly almost sobering from the embarrassment. Had Logan witnessed the whole fiasco with Max?

Logan slid back on to the floor, half seated position, and his back against the wall.

"No… I was at the bar. Minding my own business when you barged in. You looked like shit… Started drinking your ass off. I got the feeling that you wouldn't appreciate my company. But I couldn't let you drink alone…"

"So you drank what you usually drink and then some? Are you fucking nuts?"

"Possibly. But could we not speak for a while? I don't want to wake up those…"

"Little green men and pink elephants?"

"Yeah. Them. They kept bugging me all the way from the bar back here. Disappeared when I walked in. Figured that they got tired and went to sleep."

"Fine. But could we go and keep not-talking in bed? I'm kind of tired and this floor is kind of cold?" She asked. Logan breathed in, then wobbled up on his feet.

"Sure. We can…"

* * *

They got all the way across the slick marble floor of the grand entrance hall. Stopped in front of the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Houston, we have a problem," Logan announced. She nodded.

"These fucking stairs… I don't remember them being so steep earlier. Xavier must have replaced them while we were out."

"Yeah. That must be it. I don't remember them being quite that tall either," she said squinting, trying to estimate the distance between the two floors.

"Well, they can replace the stairs but they can never take our freedom!"

"Uh… I'm quite sure that you didn't get that right."

"I didn't? Fuck it… There's only one thing we can do now," Logan said and slumped on to the floor on all fours, right in front of her.

"Hop on to my back and hang on, darling. I'll get us to safety."

* * *

"I need to breathe, kid…"

"I can't fucking let go now! I'll fall off or something!"

"If you don't stop choking me we'll both fall… Or I'm going to puke… Either way we're screwed…"

She loosened her hold from around Logan's throat a bit and felt his ribcage expand under her. He was conquering the stairs step by step, crawling on his hands and knees, and she was holding on to him for her dear life. Riding Logan. That thought made her feel like she was acting in a cheap porn flick and that thought in turn made her giggle wildly. Finally they made their way to the second floor. Logan slumped to the floor face down, trapping her hands under his chest.

"Come on. Just few meters more…" She tried to coax him. Logan snorted and shrugged her off from his back. Then rolled over and burst in to fit of rather unmanly giggles.

"So… How was I?"

"What?"

"You muttered something about riding Logan and bad German porn. How was I?"

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

"That's good to hear. Considering how adamantly you have been claiming that I'd be a bad lay."

"Oh, would you shut up and carry me to bed already? It's cold out here!"

"Carry you? In your dreams, girly. In your fucking dreams. It's a fucking miracle if I can even find my room, let alone carry you there…"

"My room is just around the corner."

"Your bed is so fucking small… Get a crick in my back every time we sleep in there."

"You big wuss! Come on. I'll rub it off tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Oh-kay… For that I could probably… Yeah."

Logan had tried to get up, but flopped down on his stomach.

"You could what?" She asked. Logan didn't answer, but asked a question of his own instead.

"Could you rub my back?"

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"Not before you carry me to bed."

"Slave-driver."

"Do you want that backrub or not?"

"Have you no heart?"

"No! For I'm hollow, filled with booze to the brim and…"

"Promise not to try to imitate that vamp guy from Van Helsing if I carry you?"

"Promise."


	23. Chapter 23

"So… Care to tell me why we drank last night?" He asked. Marie mumbled something incoherent that could have been a curse or just a simple plea to leave her alone.

"Considering that even I have a hangover I'd like to know if it was worth it."

"It was Max. He was being an ass."

"I could call him. Apologize. After all it was my fault that you were late."

"Aww… That's sweet. But don't bother. He's a jerk."

He rubbed his face tiredly, trying to get rid of the sticky feeling inside of him. Marie snuggled closer against his side.

"Jerk? Are we talking about the same guy? The one you were planning to marry some day?" He asked.

"Yeah. He's a jerk. And there will be no wedding. At least not with him."

"Care to tell me why?" He asked, letting his fingers map out Marie's back in soothing patterns.

"I guess you could say that my eyes opened when I saw his parents."

"They were pricks?"

"That's an understatement of the year."

"Need me to pay a visit to them?"

"Nope… They're not worth it… But there's something you could do," she whispered with a shaky voice, burying her face against his chest.

"Okay. What is it?"

"Just stay there… Hold me. Please?"

"Christ, Marie… You don't have to ask. Come on. Just let it all out…"

* * *

He held her as she cried and let her use his shirt as a handkerchief. It had been a good while since she had been in this state. It had been a good while since she had last needed him like this. And suddenly he felt guilty. Guilty as hell because it only felt good holding her like this and some part of him almost wished she would break up with men more often just so that he could comfort her more often.

* * *

"Sorry. Got snot all over you…"

"Don't worry about it. My shirt's seen worse. Better now?" He asked. Marie sat up and wiped her face, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"I guess… Don't feel like dancing yet, but…"

"Well, that's a shame. I was going to ask you to escort me tonight, but…"

"Where?"

"Same old, same old… Xavier's throwing some sort of shindig again, and he needs me to keep an eye on things. Well, since you're not in the mood I guess I'll just have to resort to my little black book…"

"Tonight? Do we have the time to go shopping first?"

"I thought you wanted to mope around alone."

"Duh! You know Xavier's parties and how they usually go. Somebody has to step in and protect you from those old hags that are looking for a young stud."

"Rescue me? Young stud? You know, last time I checked I might very well be decades older than any of those hags…"

"Stop whining. I'll go and take a quick shower. Make sure that your account is ready for some serious pounding."

"Uh… My account?"

"Well, you asked me to go with you. Surely you're a gentleman enough to pay for my new clothes?"

"Fuck. I knew there was a catch…"

"Oh, come on, Scrooge. You can't expect me to wear the same dress I wore last time!"

"And I have to pay because…?"

"You're loaded. And I'm broke."

"Fine. Shoo. Go and take that shower. I'll meet you in the garage in an hour."

* * *

Marie left room, already smiling and giggling slightly. He knew that smirk. Knew it very well. She'd bounce back. No matter what happened, how bad it was, she always bounced back. And that was good.

He tried to remember how much money he had left in his wallet from last night. Yeah, up to some standards he was loaded. Compared to Marie he was the regular Uncle Scrooge, but no amount of money was enough when she got in to mood to spend some. Yeah. They'd have to stop by ATM.

"Damn." But in the end it would be worth it. He had to admit that he liked these little trips with her. What was there to complain? She needed somebody to tell her an opinion of the clothes she bought. He'd be there, good old Logan, always ready to help out, and while she was in the dressing room he got to ogle women of all sizes and shapes milling around, dressed practically in to nothing as they kept trying to find just the right dress or shirt. Yeah. Would be all-good. And if he was real lucky Marie would want some coffee as well, and he could indulge in to some really sugary concoction that Starbucks offered, just to keep her company, not that he really liked the stuff. Really.


	24. Chapter 24

Logan was on the edge. She could tell from his tense posture that something was going on. She walked to where he stood and nudged him gently.

"What is it?" She asked. Logan shrugged and accepted the whiskey she offered.

"It's probably nothing. I'm just being paranoid, that's all." She let her gaze sweep over the crowd once, then turned to look at him.

"Just because you're paranoid…"

"Doesn't mean that they're not following you. Yeah. I know, kid. But look at these people. Can you seriously believe that one of them is a hostile?" Logan asked.

"Uh… No?"

* * *

Ballroom was filled to the brim with crème of the crème. Old ladies with their handbags and diamonds and dentures and rich husbands, each and every one of them competing the title of mutie lover, trying to see how much of their wealth they could shovel towards Xavier's vault and how much attention and admiration they could achieve in doing so.

"Well, it certainly looks like Scott and Jean are not as paranoid as you…" She muttered, her eyes glued to the pair that was currently trying their best not to get caught, making out on the patio outside. Logan snorted.

"Jean has the whole room mapped out in her mind. I saw Scott planting bugs and wires earlier and I can only wonder how they manage to do that with all the cacophony these people are making."

"But if they have everything taken care of why are we here?" Marie asked. Logan threw a pointed glare towards Xavier who was currently chatting with the mayor little further down at the bar.

"I'm here to draw fire if anything goes wrong. You're here because I'm not as sure as hell going to suffer alone in a denture convent. And you're going to be a good girl and get me some more booze."

"Jeesh. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of finding the punch bowl by yourself…"

"For some reason Xavier has gotten in to that bald head of his that I should stay sober. I wonder if it was because of our little show last night or something I have done earlier. Shoo. Go and get me some booze. Now. Bring it to the garden."

* * *

"Aww… They look so cozy and cute…"

"Yeah. Cute enough to gag a maggot. Where's that whiskey?" Logan asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess professor knew what I was up to. Told me to steer clear from the bar."

"Fuck…"

"But seriously, why are you being so grouchy all of a sudden? I thought you had gotten over Jean already…"

"It's not that! And why the hell fucking everybody thinks that I have a thing for her? She's… She's so fucking cute with Scott that it makes me want to hurl or something. Last thing they need is to somebody mess with what they got going on."

"Aww… Is our little Grinch jealous? Don't worry, I'm sure there's somebody even for you."

"Why the heck did you even come out here without the booze?"

"Actually, I came to tell you something. Professor asked you to come back inside since you can't do your job when you're moping out here."

Logan leaned back on the bench he was sitting on and pulled out a cigar, lighting it. Looking generally like he was going to take his time smoking it.

"You can tell baldy that I'm getting back in as soon as I feel like it."

"Logan! What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing. Everything. Shit…" He leaned forward and braced his elbows against his knees.

"Come on, big guy… What is it?" She asked, throwing an arm over his shoulders. Logan drew a long drag from the cigar, holding it in, obviously pondering of what to say.

"It's just… Nothing. I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

"I'm sure professor would understand if I told him that you needed to rest…"

"Not like that. Tired from up here," Logan huffed, tapping his temple.

"Tired. Tired of booze. Tired of this fucking tux. Tired of those old penguins kissing up Xavier's ass. Tired of this whole fucking 'let's all be nice and friendly and get along just fucking fine' –crap."

"Huh?"

"Let's pretend for a second that Xavier actually achieves his goal. We start living happily with our good humane neighbors. No more harassing mutants. No more evil, criminal mutants or men. No more talk about Registration act. No more battles."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Yeah. But where do I fit in?"

"Umm… Uh… What do you mean?"

Logan shrugged her hand off from his shoulder and straightened his stance. Held out his fist. Claws erupted from their sheaths, nine inches of cold death.

"Where do I fit in, kid? This is what I was made for."

* * *

She took his wrist, bringing it on her lap, effectively forcing him to sheathe his claws. She rubbed his knuckles gently, making sure she had his whole attention.

"You fit just fine with me. We'll both learn how to fit in with the rest of the world."

For a moment it looked like Logan was going to pull his hand away. Then he grabbed her hand instead and dropped the cigar, grinding it under the heel of his shoe, then stood up.

"Come on. Let's go and show those geezers some moves on the floor."

* * *

She let him lead her to the dance floor. When Logan tried to assume the traditional 'at arms length' –position she pulled him closer against her.

"You're not going to go all 'just buddies' with me now. We're going to dance, and we're going to do it properly. You're a man. Act like one," she reached up and whispered. She could feel the corner of Logan's mouth curl slightly against her cheek as he smirked, then his hands curled tighter around her.

"So I should get drunk, grope you and tell Xavier to fuck off?"

"For Christ's sakes, Logan. Let's just dance."

"Do let's."


	25. Chapter 25

"I know this chick…"

"I'm sure you do. Several chicks, in fact."

"Yeah. But I'm talking about a certain chick."

"Are you sure?"

"Nope. I'm the Wolverine. But stop talking. It's… It's dis… Distracting."

"Wolverine? Oh my God! I'm drinking with the Wolverine! Hold the press!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, kid. You wanted to hear a story. Now do I have to gag you so that I can tell you one?"

"Fine. But that gagging part sounded rather appealing…"

"Shit. You need to get laid."

"We both do. Are you going to tell me a story or not?"

"I'd love to share some sordid details of my life and wisdom with the youth, but will they listen? No. They do not. Instead they keep ins… Distr… Fuck. Just keep your trap shut, okay?"

"As soon as you get on with that story of yours."

"Shush. I will get on. As soon as I get something to drink. Nurse! We have an emergency here!"

* * *

As soon as the waitress had brought him a new bottle of whiskey Logan took a mouthful of the amber liquid and leaned back, patting his pockets for a cigar. Found it and lit it.

"So… Where was I… Oh, yeah. That chick I know…"

"We already established the fact that you knew her."

"Know her. She's still around. Small wonder at that, because as it happens, she knows me as well…"

"If she's anything like Bambi or Cas, I'm not wondering. You're a paying customer."

"Thanks a bunch, kid… Anyway. She's not Bambi or Cas. She's no Kate either. Just this chick I know. Hot as hell."

"Well, why that doesn't surprise me the slightest bit?"

"Are you going to let me finish this story?"

"Yup. In a bit. I need to pee. Be right back…"

* * *

As soon as Marie disappeared from his view Logan hailed the waitress back and told her to get rid of all the booze on the table in front of him. Marie was driving so she wasn't drinking, and judging from the slurring speech and rather blurred vision he was at the moment teetering dangerously close that fine line separating shit-faced drunk and coma patient.

It looked like she was going to take her time in the bathroom. He smoked his cigar and ordered some coffee. Drank it. Then sobering a bit realized that it had taken all too long from Marie to simply pee.

"I better go and check out…" He decided, dread swirling in the pit of his stomach and rising a metallic tang over his tongue.

* * *

Journey through the buzzing crowd to the stained door of the ladies room felt like it took forever. This close he could smell the scent of blood and feel anxiety and pain in the air. Horrific images of Marie lying face down in a pool of her own blood assaulted him and he kicked the door open.

"If you're in a hurry I could of course wipe outside…" Marie hissed. She was sitting on a toilet seat, cradling her left hand on her lap.

"You're hurt."

"It's nothing. Just broke a nail. It's hardly even bleeding, but hurts like a bitch."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So… Do you mind?"

"Huh?"

"Come in or stay out but shut the fucking door!"

"Yeah. Sure."

He squeezed himself in to the tiny bathroom and closed the door. Noise from the bar lowered to a level that allowed discussion with a normal voice.

"Let me see." Marie extended her hand and he could see the cause of her distress. Nail of her index finger had broken. Bleeding was indeed minimal.

"You wouldn't happen to have nail clippers with you?" She asked.

"Do I look like a guy who walks around with a complete manicure-set?" He asked. Then remembered the Swiss army knife Marie had gotten for him for the last Christmas. If his memory served right, miniature scissors were part of the arsenal the little gadget hid inside plastic encasing.

"Wait… Let me see… Yeah. You're in luck," he said, unfolding the scissors from their sheath.

"This is going to hurt. Don't scream."

He prodded the torn side of the nail carefully until he managed to cut it off. Marie yanked her hand free from his hold and grimaced, waving it in the air to alleviate the pain.

"Why do you let them grow anyway?" Logan asked, pocketing the knife.

"Duh. I'm a girl, Logan. We're expected to have beautifully manicured, long fingernails."

"That's bullshit. And in the long run you're only going to end up hurt with those fucking talons. Get rid of them."

"I happen to like my nails, thank-you-very-much…"

"Whatever. Cut them off. What if you break all of them when you punch somebody? The last thing I… The team needs is you to get hurt because of vanity."


	26. Chapter 26

"_I'm holding out for a hero_…"

"Goddamned, kid. Keep your pants on, I'll be there as soon as Scott comes and takes over the radio."

"It's a song, you moron."

"Well, I'm fast. I'm strong. Some have claimed me to be larger than life."

"So they all say. Haven't met one who would have had realistic idea of his own measurements."

"Do you want me to pick you up or do you prefer walking?"

"_I need a hero_…"

"Jesus H. Christ. When will you learn that it's not a good idea t go clubbing with Jubilee?"

"Never. She's my friend and since she moved out from the mansion I hardly ever see her!"

"Is that why she ditched you over some gigolo?"

"She didn't ditch me. She asked if it was okay, if she could leave with that guy."

"And you said yes, because?"

"Because _I need a hero, he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight_!"

"Will Scott do? He was in the DR when I called him…"

"Logan! No!"

"Fine… Oh, there he is. I'm going to hang up now. Sit tight. I'll be there in a minute."

* * *

Logan rose from the chair letting Scott take his place and told him that he'd be back as soon as he got certain little miss helpless back home. He closed the door before he could hear Scott answer. Lately everybody had started throwing around the idea that he was somehow involved with Marie after all.

He grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge on his way to the garage. Then at the door of the garage turned back and grabbed another bottle of soda. He wasn't going to wait in line at some greasy burger palace at two in the Saturday morning just so that Marie could quench her thirst.

His cell phone rang when he was steering the car out from the garage.

"I'm on my way, kid."

"Good. I need some backup ASAP."

"Huh?"

"There's this huge gorilla who refuses to let me in."

"Marie… That nice man is the bouncer. It's not a good idea to call him a gorilla. And he probably thinks you're too drunk. And weren't you coming home anyway?"

"Home? Uh… Weren't you coming out here?"

"I'm on my way. But I'm just going to pick you up and drive you home."

"But I thought…"

"No buts. Now give your phone to that nice gorilla, would you?"

"Why would I give my phone to some overgrown ape?"

"You should give your phone to that bouncer so that I can tell him to keep an eye on you until I get there."

He heard a noise that was something between fart and a buzz.

"Did you just stuck your tongue out at the phone?"

"Yeah. Shows to you what I think about your idea of fun."

"You called to me less than fifteen minutes ago and asked me to come and get you. Stuck that tongue back in to your mouth and I don't have to spank you when I get there."

"Promises, promises… Oh, there's this nice fetish-club just around the corner. What if we stopped by? You could live up to those promises for once."

"We're not going in to any fetish-clubs tonight. I'm going to come and get you, and we're going back home and… Marie? What the fuck is that noise?"

"What noise?"

"What's happening in there?"

"Oh, you mean that screaming? Don't worry, it's the band. I just got in."

"I'm not talking about the music. Why I can hear chains rattling at the background?"

"I'm at the fetish-club. Come and get me."

"Marie? Marie? Don't you hang up that phone, kid. I swear I'll…"

* * *

He threw his cell phone to the passenger's seat, letting out a string of colorful curses. He wasn't born yesterday. He had seen the world. He had been in many places. He had explored and experienced many things. But to fetishes he drew the line. Kid was on her own.

He pulled to the side of the road and killed the engine. Was he really going to abandon her now? Just because he balked the idea of… Idea of people dressing weird and people who liked to get spanked? Wasn't that what went on in those clubs? He wasn't entirely sure. But he knew that he wasn't so thrilled of the prospect of finding it out either. On the other hand, Marie was there alone. Magneto was out of jail. Mystique? God only knew where that blue bitch was. And Sabretooth…

"Fuck. I'll wring her fucking neck for this…" He huffed. Turned on the engine and started steering in the traffic towards the club's entrance.


	27. Chapter 27

"_I love to hate you, I love to hate you, Iii looove to hate youuuu_…"

"Yeah. I think we established that already. Would you shut the fuck up for a second?"

"But I love your ass. Especially in jeans."

"Well, we're kind of connected. Me and my ass."

"You're trying to score cool-points with your connection with your ass?"

"Would you shut up already, kid? I love you to pieces, but right now I'd like to tear you to itsy bitsy pieces with my bare hands."

"Why?"

"'Why' she asks… Aren't you the same chick that I had to force to lay down the whip just half an hour ago?"

"And what's wrong with that? I was having fun until certain Mr.-I'm-your-daddy-do-as-you're-told-to-young-lady appeared…"

"You called me to come and pick you up!"

"Hmph… So why aren't we moving?"

"Because certain somebody stole my fucking keys and lost them!"

* * *

She was about to retort with something punchy and witty, but when Logan's eyes narrowed and he raised his index finger she snapped her mouth shut. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to poke him anymore. Besides, she was already great deal more sober than few moments ago.

"I don't really hate you," she blurted out, praying that it wasn't the last straw. Instead of running his claws through her Logan huffed and leaned against the car, combing his fingers through his already tousled hair.

"I do know better than to take your word for anything when you're drunk, kid. And I know you don't hate me."

"Oh… What gave me up?"

"Your scent. Would be hell of a lot more bitter if you weren't comfortable at my company."

"Urgh. Do I even want to know how do I smell?"

"Vanilla. Peppermint. And there's something… Something that I can't quite pinpoint…"

"I do like peppermint schnapps with a scoop of vanilla in it…"

"It's not that. You smell like that all the time."

"And how would you know that?"

"I do your laundry every other week. Just like you do mine."

"Duh. Wasn't really thinking… What are you doing?"

"Looking for those goddamned keys."

"Logan! Stop! Get your hands off from there!"

"Blame yourself. You're the one who dropped them in to your cleavage. There… Yeah, stop squirming, I think I found them…"

"Logan…"

"Stop moving, I almost got them…"

"Logan, that bouncer is walking to this way. I think… You better get your hand out from my dress before…"

* * *

She waved trying desperately to shoo off the overly protective hulk of a man that was approaching. Luckily it worked. Then Logan's hand rose upwards, stopped and suddenly he pinched her nipple lightly before pulling the car keys out from her cleavage, and the urge to call back the bouncer escalated.

"What the hell was that for?" She asked miffed. Logan smirked sheepishly.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist. You do have a killer rack"

"Duh! Doesn't mean that you should grope me…"

"Sorry. I really am. But consider it as a payback."

"Payback? For what?" She asked.

"Well, it was either you or that guy you were spanking that groped my groin back at the club and…"

"It certainly wasn't me!"

"Oh… You wouldn't happen to have his number by any chance?"

"Logan! You're a slut!"

"And proud of it, darling. But we better get going before King Kong makes another attempt at my head."

"King Kong?"

"That bouncer keeps staring at me."

"You could take him."

"Not worth the hassle. Get in to the car, kid."

* * *

"Oh, could we stop at McDonalds? I'm thirsty."

"There's soda at the glove compartment."

"It's warm."

"So?"

"Warm soda tastes icky."

"Marie, I'm not going to… I'm not… Stop pouting. No. Fuck. It's on the other side of the goddamned city and… Shit. Do you want a burger as well?"


	28. Chapter 28

"This. Is. Idiocy!"

"Come on. It was just a movie. And a good one for a change."

"Right. Maybe I should have been drunk to see the finer aspects of it."

"You were drunk. Drunk enough to call the guy who checked our tickets captain and drunk enough to throw popcorn at those ladies who kept shushing you."

"Okay. Maybe I should have been more drunk, then."

"What have I done to deserve this?"

"Won a bet with Scott. Had you lost, you would have been sitting in the surveillance for tonight and missed my charming personality horrendously."

"It's still not too late to call Scott and ask to trade places…"

"If you think that I'm going to spend this night with Scotty-boy you're sorely mistaken."

"I'm sure you're able to find company that doesn't mind you being the clown of the evening."

"Shit. Since when did you become so stuck-up? Have you been spending too much time with Summers?"

"I haven't been spending any time with anybody except you for the past two months! I'm sorry if I sound a bit bitchy, but there's only so much I can take!"

* * *

Logan huffed and pulled her to the curb of the sidewalk, urging her to sit with him. At first she was going to refuse. She wasn't going to soil her brand new jeans by sitting on snot, puke or chewing gum. But then she looked at Logan. He was completely serious. She looked around. Traffic had died down and there were only few other people besides them in the night. She made sure that there wasn't at least anything sticky or wet on the ground, then sat down.

* * *

"You're getting bored of me?" Logan asked.

"No! …Yes. It's not you…"

"Shit. That's the oldest excuse in the book, darling."

"It's not you that I'm bored with. It's… Everything. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but…"

"Speak up, kid."

"Ah… Hell. I like being with you. I like you. A lot. But as long as I tag along with you I have no hope of getting more."

"You're not getting any when were together. I'm not getting any. Yeah. You want us to take a break?"

"No. It just sometimes strikes how sucky life can be. Why the hell should I choose between a lover and my best friend?"

"Fuck if I know… I have been wondering that as well."

"You have?"

"Yeah."

* * *

It looked like he wasn't going to elaborate further. She was almost too scared to ask. Logan always seemed to put their friendship over his occasional flings. Though she felt guilty for hampering his personal life she was tremendously grateful for the fact that he was the epitome of loyalty when it came to their… Friendship? Relationship? She couldn't even find a suitable word to describe the bond between her and Logan. Friendship sounded as if it was something less. Relationship brought up images of smiling couples holding hands and trading longing glances just before that fatal kiss, and they really weren't on that stage either.

* * *

"What do you want us to do?" She finally summoned her courage and asked. Logan snorted, his eyes cast towards something in the darkness surrounding them, then turned to look at her.

"This is not something that I should decide. That's why it has been so fucking hard lately… Fuck."

Again he fell in silence, dropping his gaze. As if there was a magnet designed to draw his eyes installed to the toes of his boots. For a long moment he just sat there. She thought he was done with talking and started to stand up when his low voice brought her back down.

"You were right when you said that it wouldn't work between us. You were so fucking right… I have all the time in the world. Quite literally. You… You turned twenty-five last Tuesday. You're going to be twenty-six after a year. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight."

"It's called aging. Even you do that, Logan. Slower than the rest of us, but you got my point…"

"It's going to be hard as hell to let you go when the time comes. Truth to be told, I'm scared shitless by just thinking about it. And if we… If we had something more…"

"Logan…"

"I'm sorry, kid. Sorry for being this fucking selfish, but I think… I know that I wouldn't make it if… If we let things go any further than they already are and something happened to you."

* * *

Again there seemed to be something fascinating attached to the toes of his boots. And the look on his face told to Marie that he was done talking.

"Logan, that's not selfish."

"It isn't?"

"It's called careful planning. Or self-preservation. And I'm in to it. Hundred percent."

"You are?"

"I'm not looking for a romance of the century with you. Fuck, I'm pretty sure that we'd be horrible in the sack together."

"Hey!"

"Tut-tut… Just listen, okay?"

"Fine…"

"I love you. As a friend. As my closest friend in this whole world. And now I'm going to ask you something."

"Anything, kid. You know that you don't have to ask."

"Could you please start making sure that your boxers won't suddenly make an appearance anywhere near my bed at the wrong moment? It's hard as hell to explain why I have like a whole collection of those under my bed collecting dust."

"Sure. I could do that. As soon as you stop marking my bed with your nightgowns and bras."

For a moment they sat in silence again, throwing sidelong glances towards each other. Slowly a grin started to creep over Logan's face. It was infectious. Soon they were both grinning and snickering like maniacs.

* * *

"And now, as your bestest friend in the whole widdle world I'll challenge thee!" Logan announced, climbing up from the sidewalk.

"A challenge?"

"Not a challenge. The Challenge. The big one."

"Uh-huh…"

"Find a way to superglue Scott's ass to the chair he's sitting on in the comm. center."

"I did that already last night."

"You did it to me because of that fucking bet with Scott. I want retaliation. I need a retaliation."

"How about if I put bright pink food coloring in to his shampoo? Would that work?"

"How old are you again? Bright pink? Use that brain of yours. Scott can see that. Use dark red instead. Blends in just nicely because of that visor of his."


	29. Chapter 29

"I'm bored."

"No shit? You could have fooled me. I thought you found it actually entertaining to rearrange your closet."

"It isn't fair! Why the hell Scott blames me only? It wasn't even my idea for crying out loud!"

"Scott blames you because it's hell of a lot more easier to pull through than to try and claim that I put that shit in to his shampoo. And you took the blame because… Why the hell did you take the blame anyway? You could have told them that it was in fact me who came up with that challenge, have Xavier to read your mind and that would have been the end of it."

"You would go nuts within hours after grounding."

"Can you really see Scott grounding me? Or professor? Or me staying put just because being told to for that matter?"

"I'm fucking twenty-five! They can't ground me! I have certain rights!"

"Which got provoked after Scott realized that he'd have to wait for the color to wear off from his hair. But don't worry. I have a plan."

"A plan? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it your plan that got me in to this mess in the first place?"

"Details, details… Why you have to be so fucking anal about this? Do you want to get out for the weekend, or do you rather mope around and arrange random closets until your brain implodes?"

"And how, may I ask, are you planning to smuggle me out from here? And keep Scott from noticing that I'm gone?"

"We'll throw a party."

"A party?"

"A slumber party. When the house is full of half-naked squealing chicks Scott's going to be busy little trooper, making sure that nothing inappropriate is happening. He won't even notice that you're gone."

* * *

Marie had used all of her contacts, and even Logan had dug up his little black book to ensure that Scott had plenty to do. At midnight the party was at full swing. Whereas Marie's friends had chosen more traditional approach, wearing modest pajamas and sitting around, playing truth or dare, Logan's allies had taken on more drastic measures. Flimsy excuses of nightgowns, luxurious, yet none too modest pieces from Victoria's Secret, and lots of booze made sure that the general ambience was anything but proper. And true to his calling, Scott was monitoring the progress with growing anxiety, all too wound up and nervous to spare even thought to what went on behind the scene. Or more particularly, beneath the scene, at the grand hangar where most of the cars were stored among the Blackbird.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a god idea?" She asked. Logan nodded, strapping the saddlebags to the back of his motorcycle.

"But… Won't Scott notice that we're gone later? Like when we skip the breakfast? And lunch? He's not stupid, you know."

"I'm counting on that. He will notice that we're missing, but if he's even half as intelligent as you seem to think he is, he'll let it slide."

"Why would he do that? He is the team leader. He could just kick us both to the curb."

"Why the hell are we whispering anyway? It's not like he can hear us."

"Then stop whispering. And explain why you're so sure that we are going to have a home left to return to on Monday morning."

"I'll stop whispering as soon as you do. And I left a map open on to my desk. Along with some scraps of papers which will lead Scott to our trail."

"Are you nuts!"

"Most likely. Considering my plan… Yeah. That must be it."

"And what is that plan?"

"I booked a cabin for us."

"And…? How is that supposed to stop Scott from following us and nuking our asses?"

"It's not just any cabin. Scott and Jean went there for their anniversary."

"Logan!"

"Shit. Fine! If you have better idea, lets hear it."

"I don't want to spend next couple of months in the spotlight as your new-and-not-so-new-oh-we-should-have-guessed-girlfriend! Took ages to get rid of that status the last time!"

"We can already fall apart on our way back here. Have a huge fight at the driveway and you can kick my ass and then we can declare our 'relationship' finished."

* * *

She wasn't quite sure if she was on board with what Logan had sketched out. Once more they were supposed to fool everybody thinking that they were in fact an item. Exactly how many times they would be able to pull it through without Xavier arranging a hasty wedding reception and a honeymoon in Vegas?

"And what are we supposed to do in that love shack of yours?" She asked.

"We? There's a bar not too far from the cabin. Once we get there, you're on your own, darling. The cabin is yours for this weekend to do as you please. Mope around, read a good book, or bare some of that skin of yours and go and score yourself some good looking bloke and screw his brain out."

"We're not that close that I would screw somebody's brains out while you're 'sleeping' in the next room."

"I'm not planning to sleep. Or even spend any longer in that cabin than it is absolutely necessary. It's your place."

"What are you going to do, then?"

"Shoot some pool. Drink some booze. Fight if there's a cage. You know… The usual."

"And fuck anything walking on two legs?"

"Hell, darling… At this point two legs have already become optional. As long as it breathes, it'll do."

"What the hell are we waiting for? Let's get going before Scott notices that we're gone!"


	30. Chapter 30

He was shivering from head to toe. Violent tremors left him weak, gasping for air that felt all too cold, no matter that he laid on a warm bear skin rug in front of blazing inferno Marie had managed to light in the fireplace.

"You should… Should go… Before guys get too drunk to appreciate you…" He stuttered, trying to wrap the blanket tighter around him.

"Nonsense. I'm going to make sure that you're okay before I do anything else," Marie said, crawling next to him under the blanket and wrapping her already warm body around his for the best of her abilities.

* * *

A sudden storm had struck on their way to the cabin. At first everything had been fine, though Logan had complained that it was hard to see the road through the snow. But when they got in to the cabin it soon became clear that neither of them was going out that night. Marie had been cold, but she had warmed up quickly once she got the fire going. Logan was a whole another issue. Metal covering his bones had cooled, turning him to a Logan-popsicle.

* * *

"Doesn't your healing usually take care of this kind of things?" She asked, struggling to stay still when Logan buried his ice-cold face to the crook of her neck.

"U-usually… I just wear warmer ch-clothes…" Logan stuttered, nuzzling her neck.

"There was… N-n-nothing about a fucking… Blizzard in the forecast…" He mumbled and drew her closer.

"Jeesh, this isn't working. It's going to take the whole fucking weekend to thaw you."

"C… Could y-you take off your sh-sh-shirt?"

"I could. The question remains, would I?" Marie smirked.

"F-f-f-fuck you, k-kid… Shirt. Open. Now."

She swatted off Logan's shivering hands and started unbuttoning the shirt by herself. Logan actually had a point. Shared body heat was surprisingly efficient way to get warm.

"Eep! Jesus Christ you're cold!" She squeaked.

"Much better…" Logan's voice came somewhat muffled. He had buried his face against her breasts. His hands clasped her tightly against him.

"This would probably work even better if you took your clothes off as well," she noted after she had to squirm a little space between her stomach and Logan's belt buckle.

"Too c-c-cold t..to do th-that… S-stop moving!" Logan croaked when she started to sit up. He lurched after her and pinned her down, his face ending between her breasts once more.

"Are you really that cold?" She asked.

"N-n-no? Just… Just a good excuse to… Grope y-you?"

"Right. Well… It's probably better than have some complete stranger groping me anyway…"

"Y-yeah… At least… At least I know what t-t-to do…"

"You do? I kind of doubt that."

"H-how the heck… Am I s-s-supposed to prove m-my words…"

"Don't worry about it. But seriously, I'm going to take off your clothes now. You're not going to get any warmer in those."

"S-s-seriously… Yeah. Might b-b-be a good… Idea."

* * *

It took quite a lot awkward shuffling and stumbling, but finally they succeeded.

"Uh… Is it supposed to look like that?"

"What th-the fuck is… Wrong with it?"

"It's all black. And cold. Maybe we should call to Jean."

"We're not calling to Jean! … Or-or anyone for that matter…"

"It's going to fall off or something!"

"S-s-so? That's… My problem…"

"Oh, my God! We have to get it warm!"

"Shit… Don't squeeze that h-h-hard… Hurts…"

"Sorry. I don't know… It probably isn't a good idea to rub it right now. Maybe if I just held it…"

"Yeah…"

"Better?"

"I d-don't know… Can't feel a thing…"

"You really should buy better boots. I know you heal, but it can't be very healthy to freeze off your little toe every time the temperature drops below zero."


	31. Chapter 31

She couldn't help it. Time after time her gaze wandered towards the cage, no matter how hard she tried not to look. The problem was, that there was a lot to look for.

* * *

Logan had, after all, thawed out surprisingly quickly after she had brought out the big guns and made him several pots of coffee. Digesting enough caffeine to dope a horse had made him jumpy and antsy, and they had decided to brave the storm and go to the bar.

* * *

She knew it was stupid. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her watching. There were two extremely fit and good-looking men in the cage. If one of them happened to be her best friend, and if for some mystical reason she felt more drawn to him than to his adversary… Wasn't it only natural to seek the safest option in life? And it wouldn't be fair towards Logan if she started cheering only when he went down in the ring, now would it?

She tried her best to be not too obvious in her ogling, but quite soon it became apparent that she wasn't fooling anybody, least of all Logan who kept throwing quizzical glances towards her and sniffling the air when ever she went to refresh his drink.

"See something you like?" He finally asked when she suddenly blushed furiously when his fingers brushed against hers when she handed him the bottle of beer he had asked for.

"Just appreciating the view…" She huffed. Logan shook his head.

"Don't go there, kid. Mac's not called 'The Bruiser' because of his achievements in the ring…" He rumbled. It took her some time to realize that Logan thought she was running hot for the huge bulk of a man standing at the opposite corner.

She had to admit that the man in question wasn't bad looking. Not at all. But somehow he didn't quite compare to Logan who had grabbed a towel and was currently practically hiding behind it, trying to dry off sweat and blood from his face.

"Uh… I take your word for it," she stuttered. Logan threw away the towel and nodded.

"You better. Besides, I think you would find somebody more… Suitable from the bar than from the ring anyway. These guys, they're too rough. No good for you."

"Yes, daddy!" She snapped, suddenly annoyed over his coddling attitude. Logan flinched.

"Daddy?"

"Well, you're certainly acting like one… Hey!"

Logan had reached through the bars of the cage, and pulled her roughly against the cold metal. Their faces were only inches apart. She could smell the beer. Blood. Sweat. Anger and frustration were rising in his eyes, turning them even sharper shade of hazel. He moved swiftly, let go of her shoulders and grabbed her hips instead, lifting her higher. She had to reach through the bars and clasp his shoulders to stay in balance, and when she did that Logan took the opportunity and kissed her.

* * *

It was over fast. She was standing on the floor again, her head spinning, and the gong announced the next round starting.

* * *

She stumbled back to the bar and slumped to a stool, cradling her burning face behind her palms. She was still sitting there at the end of the night, listening the slowly dwindling noise, until all that was left was the soft clinking of bottles and glasses as the bartender kept organizing them behind the counter, and approaching footsteps from behind her.

"I'm sorry."

She lifted her gaze. Logan was leaning against the counter, elbows on the table, hands crossed under his chin and his eyes cast to nowhere in particular.

"I got carried away. I shouldn't have done that. If… If you want to get back home, I can take you…"

"Shush," she whispered, surprising herself with her ability to talk.

"We were both out of line. I should have known better than to act like that."

"And I should have known better than to grab you like that. You're my fucking friend and I… There just are some things that don't belong in to this what's between us. I really am sorry, kid."

"I'm not sorry about the kiss," she confessed. Logan's eyes snapped to hers.

"You're not?" He asked surprised.

"I'm only sorry for what led to it. But it was a nice kiss. Only one for me tonight, it seems…" She sighed; glancing around and finding the bar empty besides them and the bartender. Logan tilted his head remorsefully.

"I probably scared off everybody from your tail… Shit."

"Don't worry about it," she said, leaning against his side. Logan turned slightly, bringing them nose to nose again. Now there was no anger in his eyes. He blinked when a wayward strand of hair fell over his forehead and landed over his eye. She puckered her lips and blew it off. Before she had the time to retreat Logan's lips brushed against hers briefly, innocently.

"Friends?" He asked.

"Friends," she confirmed and laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. She could hear Logan let out a shaky breath, then his hands wrapped around her and for a long moment they just held each other.


	32. Chapter 32

They left the bar after the bartender told them not too politely to go and get a room, he wasn't going to wait them to finish their business before closing. Earlier blizzard had dwindled; only slight breeze disturbed gigantic snowflakes that were falling from the sky. For some reason she felt giddy and reckless, and started twirling around, hands spread wide and her face turned upwards to capture the falling flakes on to her tongue. Logan had scooped a handful of snow and was molding it between his palms.

* * *

She kept twirling and giggling breathlessly. It felt like it had been ages since she had last seen this much snow. Pure snow at least. The kind you wanted to eat handfuls until your whole mouth froze and you started talking funnily because you couldn't feel your tongue. And that was exactly what she did as soon as the decorative flakes falling from the sky lost their appeal.

"Clap…"

"What?"

"I floze my thong."

"Uh-huh… Froze your tongue?"

"Yesh. Completely flozen," she declared and stuck the said appendage out, crossing her eyes in attempt to see if it really had turned to blue ice. Logan squinted his eyes and leaned closer.

"It does look like little frozen… Maybe we should warm it up again…" He whispered, his eyes searching hers.

"Ale you sule?" She asked. Logan nodded, but stayed still, waiting for her to take the next step.

* * *

It should have been easy. Just few steps away and they could have returned to the cabin, maybe laugh at his cheesy comment a little. But suddenly her feet felt frozen. As frozen and stiff as her tongue. And there was Logan, kneeling in front of her; snowflakes on his hair, completely serious, yet expectant look on his face. She leaned closer and felt the warmth of his lips against hers. She applied the pressure just slightly, sliding her tongue over his lower lip. Then pulled back.

"Did it work?" Logan asked, slight hitch in his breath.

"I don't know… Maybe we should try again?" She whispered with a trembling voice. Logan stood up and stepped closer.

"Well, if you're not sure… Can't risk you loosing your tongue…"

She closed her eyes when she felt his hands around her. Then his lips were on hers, his hot tongue demanding entrance, which she granted, and they were standing in the middle of a snowy road in somewhere Canada, but suddenly the air around her felt considerable warmer.

* * *

"Better now?" Logan asked with hoarse voice when they parted. She breathed deeply and tested her knees. Yep. They probably would carry even if she let go of his bicep.

"Better. But… I'm not sure if it's completely thawed yet…" Her own voice sounded awfully distant. And was she really asking him yet another kiss? What was wrong with her? To her relief Logan didn't seem to mind. Actually he looked quite pleased over the development of the situation.

"We'll have to look in to that once we get back in to the cabin. We're not exactly dressed for blizzard, and the wind is picking up again."

They managed the whole ten steps forward before Logan grabbed her and they stopped for a kiss.

"What about… The blizzard?" She managed to ask between heated duel of their tongues.

"Fuck the blizzard… This feels so good… But you're right… We should get going…" Logan muttered, nibbling her lower lip lightly.

"Are we?" She asked and again Logan's lips stopped further queries.

"Hmmh?"

"Are we… Logan, are we going to… Get going?"

"In a minute…"

* * *

It had taken them little less than half an hour to cross the distance between the cabin and the bar earlier. Same journey took them now well over an hour. They were both covered in snow and small, sparkling bits of ice when they finally made it back to the cabin. There was nothing wrong with her tongue anymore, but her lips felt swollen. And she felt incredible awkward when Logan just stood there, right in front of her, one step lower on the stairs of the front porch of the cabin and stared at her.

"Are we going to get in?" She asked, trying to smooth her windblown hair. Logan grabbed her wrist and pulled off her mitten, placing a kiss on her palm, his eyes never breaking contact with hers.

"Sorry. You must be freezing. Just… Wanted to remember you like this…" He grunted, then suddenly turned away and started patting down his pockets.

"Keys… I know I have them in here somewhere…" She could hear him muttering. He sounded absolutely nervous. She reached over and grasped his shoulder, urging him to turn around. He did so, flashed her a hesitant smile, then pulled out keys and brushed past her to the door. It took him three tries before he managed to actually open it.

"Um… The bedroom's through there. You… I took your bag there already before we left. And bathroom's over there…" She stared at him in awe. Logan. Babbling. And was he actually blushing?

"I… You can have the shower first. If you want! I didn't mean that you should, but… I was thinking that I could sleep on the couch for tonight, keep the fire going. You wouldn't believe how fast this place cools off if…" She couldn't take it anymore. She grasped the lapels of his jacket and yanked him closer, kissing him for all her worth, hoping that it would shut him up long enough for her to say what was on her mind. It worked. When she pulled back, Logan opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then closed it again.

"We could both sleep on that bearskin," she whispered. Logan blinked. Blinked twice.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded.

"Or we could both go to bedroom. I'm sure I saw an electric heater tucked in there when I dropped off your bag," he said, small smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, I'm sure you're more than capable of keeping me warm through the night…"

"You finally believe it?"

"Never had a doubt."


	33. Chapter 33

She lay on the bed, under a pile of blankets, shivering. Shivering had nothing to do with desire, but all to do with the chill air. Logan was fiddling in the corner, trying to get the electric heater working.

* * *

"Is it ready yet?"

"No."

"Is it on yet?"

"No."

"Are you going to finish that soon and come to bed?"

"N… Fuck. I know this isn't the most romantic thing to do right now, but if I don't get this fucking useless piece of crap working we're going to freeze our asses off."

"Correction. I'm going to freeze off my pretty little ass. You're going to be just fine."

"What ever. If I can't fix this…"

"No."

"Kid, if I can't fix this, we'll have to…"

"We're not calling to Scott."

"We have to! If I can't get this working we'll have to call him and ask him to pick us up. I can't drive in that weather and the way the temperature keeps falling…"

Logan dropped the screwdriver and stood up, stretching his back. Then walked to her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"This may seem like I'm stalling. Trust me, I'd much rather be doing you than that goddamned piece of junk. But…" He raised his finger to shush her when she started to say something.

"But. Okay. This isn't exactly new to either of us. I have had my flings, you have had yours. Doesn't matter. But I want this to be good for both of us. Good as in we don't have to worry over death by freezing, or explosion when that heater shorts and blows up."

"Uh-huh… Sounds good to me."

"It will be. As soon as I get that heater working, or as soon as Scott picks us up and we camp in to my room. In to my very big bed. With my warm, well stocked bathroom at the next door. With well stocked fridge nearby. With curious neighbors cheering to us at next morning."

"Something tells me that I'm not going to get wild sex if we stay in this cabin."

"Yeah…. I'm not in to necrophilia, I'd rather have you warm, alive and breathing."

"Maybe we should call to Scott."

"I'll give that heater one more go. Just in case."

* * *

An hour later he was none the wiser, heater stayed still and he was getting rather impatient. After everything else had failed he had used up all known swears and curses, then invented few completely new ones. And it still wasn't working.

"Uh… Maybe we could just go and do… It… In front of the fireplace? It would be nice," Marie suggested. She had gotten dressed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and she was crouching next to him.

"It would be nice. It would be sexy as hell, and I'm thinking that I could 'borrow' that bearskin from Jack when we leave, but with the rate the snow is piling up out there it would be a small miracle if we came out of it alive."

"Huh?"

"Once the snow blocks the chimney we have to put out the fire before carbon monoxide puts us out. Speaking of which, I better go and check that it's still open…" Logan grunted, stood up from where he had been kneeling in front of the heater and left the bedroom.

* * *

"What does it take to get laid in here?" She huffed frustrated. She could hear Logan laughing in the other room and she followed him.

"A degree in electrical engineering? I'm calling to Scott and he can come and fly us back home."

"He's going to fly in that weather?"

"He can take Ororo with him. She can calm this blizzard temporarily."

"Couldn't we just call to her and ask her to do it now?"

"We could. But if I know any of our dear Storm, she wouldn't do that. Ethics, you know. Only use your powers for greater good. And only when absolutely everything else fails. Besides, I don't think she has wide enough range to even reach this blizzard."


	34. Chapter 34

Their journey back to home started quite uneventful. Marie was sitting at the back of the Blackbird. Ororo sat on the other side of the isle, sulking silently and casting condemning glances towards Logan who was sitting at the cockpit, next to Scott, who was openly reprimanding both Marie and Logan. And Marie… She was quietly wondering if it was healthy to have fantasies of a three- or foursome with the current company. She could see it so clearly. Scott would turn on the autopilot. Ororo would start shedding her clothes. Scott would reach to where Logan sat and…

* * *

"Oh, eww…" She rubbed her face tiredly, making the look on Ororo's face soften a bit. The last thing Marie wanted or needed right now was the ever-compassionate goddess to pry in to what was going on between her and Logan. She shifted on her seat, turning her back to Ororo. She could see in to the cockpit through reflection on the window at her right side. And what a sight it offered…

She could see only the upper part of his back and his neck, but Logan's tense posture spoke volumes to her. He was having as hard time as Marie was, trying to stay calm and collected instead of grabbing and maiming her to the spot where she sat, no matter the extra audience they had.

She shifted again so that Ororo wouldn't see her face. Let her eyes roam over those broad shoulders. Tried to remember how they felt under her palms and fingers. And found it almost impossible. She had touched Logan before, even on bare skin. She had given him occasional backrubs and they had gone to swimming together. They had showered together. But she didn't have the slightest idea how he would feel, how his skin would feel or how his muscles would move when they fucked.

Fucked. Was it the right word to use? She squinted her eyes and managed to catch a reflection from Logan's face when he turned to say something to Scott. Definitely the right word. The way his eyes strayed, searching hers through the reflection and zeroing in for just a brief second confirmed her choice of words.

He was annoyed and cranky after battling with that goddamned heater, hungry as hell and on top of that horny. She wondered briefly if they would make it to his room before anything happened. Hell, if he managed to wait for Scott and Ororo to leave the hangar before he jumped on her? Before she herself jumped on him?

* * *

Logan threw a quick glance over his shoulder and she could see his nostrils flaring. His eyes had grown darker. Suddenly he leaned to say something to Scott, then unbuckled his seatbelt and walked to where she sat. Ignored Ororo who tried her best to drill holes at his back with her gaze alone and grabbed Marie's shoulder instead.

"Come on…"

She followed him to the loading bay, through the door that lead to the chamber where the uniforms stood in their lockers, ready to be taken out and put to good use if the need arose. When Logan showed her hard against the lockers and took her lips to a searing kiss she knew that he hadn't come here to do an inventory of the uniforms.

"I… I don't know if this is a good idea…" She squeaked when the jet suddenly lurched and she stumbled slightly. Logan showed his knee roughly between her thighs, pinning her against the locker.

"This is so fucking bad idea… But I'm guessing you're not after my brain and wits right now…" Logan murmured, his lips and teeth trailing her jugular while his hands roamed over her breasts and sides.

"What about… What about Ororo and Scott?" She hissed, trying not to moan out loud when Logan kneeled slightly, his hard thigh rubbing against the juncture of her thighs and his hot mouth locking around her left nipple through the blouse she was wearing.

"Fuck them… This whole fucking jet reeks of you…"

"Uh, I know it's been a while since I last showered…"

"It's not that…" Logan grunted, his hand sliding in to her pants, his fingers finding her slick wetness.

"It's this."

"Oh… Oh, right there…"

"Like this?"

"Uh-huh…"

She grasped his shoulders. Heard the door sliding shut. Thank God for small mercies, at least now she wouldn't have to worry about whimpering. And that she did, because Logan seemed to know exactly what buttons to push to make her squirm and beg.


	35. Chapter 35

He closed his eyes and tried to remember how to breathe. Fairly simple task, anybody with half of brain was capable of figuring it out, but right now it felt more like rocket science. He leaned back and as his upper back hit the wall the ability to breathe returned magically. He cracked his eyes open and lowered his gaze. Cursed inwardly at his stupidity because here he was again, gasping for air that suddenly felt thicker than syrup. Cursed out loud because he very well couldn't just shout out something intelligible, not with Scott and Ororo just few meters away on the other side of surprisingly thin metal door, no matter how sexy it looked or how good it felt when Marie was kneeling between his slightly bent knees, her lips wrapped around his throbbing cock.

* * *

"Uh… K-kid?"

"Mmhmh?"

"Jesus… Humming is good, but it has been a while, and I…"

"Hmmh?"

"Y-you were… All about safe sex and everything and…"

Marie moved and his cock plopped out of her mouth. He whimpered. Jesus Christ. Men do not whimper. But he did.

"Safe sex?"

"Uh, yeah… Do you want… There's rubbers in my bag, it's over there in the corner…"

"I'm quite sure that it's impossible for me to get pregnant this way. And with your mutation, I kind of doubt that there's any kind of nasty diseases lurking in this little guy," Marie said, kissing the head of his cock before sucking it back in to her mouth.

"L-Little? You don't ask much, do you?"

"M-Mmh."

"Oh-kay…"

* * *

He closed his eyes again and let his head droop backwards. It seemed to be the only way he could retain that tiny fraction of brain function that was required to breathe. He had already lost control of his claws and he kept his hands pressed against the cool plex wall of the locker. Wouldn't do to accidentally skewer Marie. Not when she was sucking and licking and… She was humming. Not constantly, but humming nonetheless, every now and then, sending delicious jolts of pleasure coursing through his system. He tried not to think too hard of where she had learned that little gimmick. Actually it was much harder to think than not to think. When all your brain had liquefied and your spine was planning to follow the suit… And then there was a sudden lurch. And he whined again when Marie stumbled away from him.

* * *

"I think we're about to land. We probably should return to our seats."

"Do we have to?"

"Zip it up, big guy. I'm sure you can keep it in your pants until we're back on solid ground."

"Keep it in my pants? Darling… I'm not even sure if I can get it back in to my pants."

After careful jiggling and wriggling and general whining and few selected swears he managed to zip up his jeans. It wasn't much helping that Marie was eyeing him through the whole process like she was starving and he was the main course of the dinner. And it certainly wasn't helping when she leaned against him, placing her palm over the throbbing bulge and gave his earlobe a quick lick. He could still smell and taste the remnants of her orgasm in the air, and that combined with his own scent in her breath was almost enough to make him forget why exactly were they leaving this lovely chamber. The Blackbird lurched violently again and started to tremble. Gears in his brain kicked back on slowly but surely.

"Fuck. Scott's driving."

"Yes, he is."

"Scott. Shit. We better go and sit down."


	36. Chapter 36

He was swimming in pure testosterone up to his eyeballs. In an emergency situation his cock could have been used as a bat. And he had just spent a whole hour in professor Xavier's office, receiving a lecture of his irresponsible and inexcusable behavior. And now he couldn't find Marie anywhere. He had checked her room first, then his own, and now he was prowling around, trying to find her trail, but it was as if she had simply vanished to thin air.

* * *

"I'm at the bottom of the attic stairs."

"Getting warmer…" Marie's voice flow like thick syrup from the headset she had left on to his bed before she had gone in to hiding.

"I tell you what's getting warmer… What's the fucking point in this, kid? Getting cold feet?" He growled, hoping against hope that that wasn't the case. He wasn't exactly sure if it was possible to die over blue balls, but he wasn't that keen on finding it out either.

Marie's breathy laughter rang from the headset, sending tremors down his spine.

"Cold feet? Over what?" She asked. He started to climb the stairs, slowly.

"Over this. Over us. Is this what you want or…"

"Logan! I'm a grown woman. I think I know exactly what I want. Are you getting cold feet, old man?"

"Old? Is it too late to sing up to that fetish club? Because I think I know a certain somebody who could use a good whipping and… Dear God in heaven."

* * *

He had reached the top of the stairs. The attic had changed quite a bit since he had last been up there. Floor was covered with soft, thick rugs. Somebody had modified the chimney that rose through the mansion, constructing a light fireplace to the side of it. There was a four-poster bed straight under the skylight. Bearskin rug in front of the fireplace looked awfully warm and inviting. There was also a couch and armchairs, few dressers and cupboards and shelves on the walls, as well as sturdy-looking desk and an office chair in the corner. And the whole place was lit with candles. Endless amount of candles of all sizes and shapes. And most important of it all, Marie was laying on the rug in front of the fireplace, buck naked, warm glow from the fire turning her skin almost golden.

* * *

"What's all this?" He asked, tearing off the headset and throwing it out before closing the door behind him. Somehow it felt like it wouldn't belong in to the same space with antique and softness.

"Everybody has been waiting for the day we finally realize how good it would be for the both of us to get together. They have been building this place for us for few months already."

"So… We're moving in together?" He asked, stalking slowly closer at her. He could smell a hint of nervousness when she turned to fiddle with the edge of the rug. Too afraid to look at him? Why?

"It's… It's an option. If you want. Only if you want," she distressed like the state of the world peace depended on Logan's opinion of where he lived and with whom.

"I guess I could live with that. With you. But only if you promise to welcome me back home every night dressed like that."

"But I'm not wearing… Logan!" She turned to look at him.

"You're laughing at me. Aren't you?" She asked, her lips puckering to pout. Logan shrugged his shoulders, kicked off his shoes and sat carefully on to the rug next to her.

"I'm laughing at this whole fucking fuss. First and foremost we're friends. This… What ever happens next is just something extra. Small benefits."

"Small? That thing you're carrying around isn't exactly small…"

"Heh… I'm just saying that to me this doesn't change anything. You're still going to be the most important person in my life, kid."

She rose from the rug and straddled him, letting her fingers slide over his head and tangle in to his hair.

"I'm sorry if I'm being such a brat about this. It's just… Things haven't gone so well in the past. I… I'm afraid that I spoil this…" She whispered. Logan shook his head, small smile tugging the corners of his mouth. His hands landed on her waist, sliding lower and ending up resting on her hips.

"There's no way you're capable of spoiling anything by yourself. And if it's any consolation, you're not the only one with willies. After all, I have a lot to prove. At least according to you," he said smirking, then leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips.


	37. Chapter 37

"And now… Can I please take off these jeans? They're kind of tight," Logan huffed, leaning backwards against the fireplace, trying to alleviate the pressure.

"I have a better idea…" Marie smiled, her hands falling to his lap, rubbing the bulge she found. Logan gasped and bucked slightly.

"You have an idea? I like the sound of it…"

She scooted lower on his lap and grabbed the zipper, lowering it slowly. Relieved almost whimper, almost groan that Logan let out sounded rather pathetic.

"Poor baby… Maybe I should kiss and make it better…" Marie smiled.

"That would be a good… Idea!" Logan squeaked when she crouched and took the tip of his cock in to her mouth, giving it affectionate nibble. As long as she didn't start humming again he possibly could retain some shreds of his dignity and sanity. He was determined to hold off the orgasm until he was inside of her. He wasn't going to let the first memory of their time together to be a mouthful of sperm for her.

* * *

"Darling… Let go. Let it go. Please?" She smirked and kept going. Logan was already on the edge. It would take only a small nudge to topple him over it.

"Marie, you have to… I can't… I want to get inside of you…" For that she let go and raised her gaze. Look on Logan's face was a mixture of pain and lust. He was grasping on straws already, trying to scoot away from her.

"I don't want it like this. Not at first," he whispered, standing up and kicking off his socks and jeans. Shirt followed them soon. She crawled to where he stood and used his knees and thighs as a leverage to stand up, because she wasn't quite sure if her knees would cooperate anymore. Logan grasped her and pulled her against his warmth, his throbbing cock ending between their abdomens. It felt soft and hard at once, nestled there against her navel.

"I want you now," she heard Logan murmuring, then he scooped her up and carried in front of the fireplace, lowering her gently on to the bearskin.

* * *

She was already wet from their earlier tryst in the Blackbird. He could as well smell as see the evidence of her lust, and he wasted no time in settling between her knees. At the last possible moment he pulled back and muttered an obscenity, reaching for his jeans.

"What is it?" She asked. Logan smirked sheepishly.

"You're going to have to wait for a little while longer. I left condoms back in to my room."

"It's okay. We don't need them."

"Uh… I know we haven't really discussed about this, but you do know about mommy and daddy Bee, right? And what happens when daddy Bee puts his little willy in to mommy Bee's nest?"

"I'm on the pill."

"Oh… In that case…"

* * *

She cried out from the pleasure when Logan entered in to her hot core. One look in his eyes, silent hiss through clenched teeth told her that it was good for him as well. She could close her eyes and not think about the latest tricks and gimmicks, she could let go and just feel. And that she did, with all her body.

* * *

Her hands were everywhere at once, nails digging in to his shoulders and buttocks. He was trying to think past how good it felt, how soft and slick she was and how long exactly had he been already wondering the possibility of this happening. His sense of smell had told him on numerous occasions before, that he hadn't been the only one wondering.

He wanted to prolong the peak of it as long as possible, but when Marie climaxed, her core constricting around him and her nails drawing bleeding furrows over his back it was impossible to hold back any longer. For a second the whole world ceased to exist, there was just the girl whimpering beneath him, and sharp, silvery string uncurling, then it all came rushing back, robbing him from his strength and ability to do anything else but to collapse right on top of Marie.

* * *

"Sorry… Didn't mean to crush your boobs."

"Don't fret over it. They're quite flexible and perky. They'll bounce back."

"Yeah… You mind if I stay here for a moment?"

"Stay as long as you like. I got you exactly where I wanted…"


End file.
